Little Bear
by serendipitymadness
Summary: Malfoys were always Slytherin. Malfoys were always pureblood supremacists. Ursa Malfoy was the exception to those rules. When her younger brother Draco starts Hogwarts, Ursa makes it her mission to steer him on the right path and away from their fathers manipulations by befriending a muggleborn witch, Hermione Granger.
1. Black Sheep

**With the first year of my Hogwarts Mystery fic completed, I thought that I'd venture further into the Harry Potter archive and fully commit myself to writing a fully-fledged fanfic. So far all I've written for Harry Potter has been for Hogwarts Mystery - which you should also check out. I'm in the middle stages of planning this fic like I tend to do whenever I write one and it currently stands at 18 chapters planned with more to come. I'll say how many chapters it has for sure once I've completely planned it.**

**If the summary isn't any indication, this is a fic that primarily focuses on my OC, Ursa Malfoy who is Draco's older sister. She's three years older than him meaning that she is in her Fourth Year when the story starts. I had originally intended for her to be four years older than Draco before I decided to make her three years older than him. For the most part, more than half of the story focuses on Ursa and her friendship with Hermione since it goes into the events of each year up until their Fourth Year when Ursa graduates. Anything in the Dramione development will be subtle until Ursa is out of the picture at Hogwarts, so it's definitely slow-burn.**

**Usually my stories follow an update schedule, but this one is most likely going to be updated spontaneously whenever I feel like writing for it or if you guys leave me a lot of reviews ;). It'll basically be slow-burn Dramione from Ursa's perspective, including after she graduates Hogwarts. This first chapter is basically an outline of Ursa's life up until everything starts happening to give you the main idea of everything. I hope that you guys enjoy reading Little Bear and let me know what you think.**

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**Black Sheep**

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As a Malfoy, Ursa was subjected to plenty of expectations in her life. She was a pureblood, expected to uphold those values that have been around for centuries. Above everything else, Ursa was a Malfoy, daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, two members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight belonging to the Malfoy and Black House respectively. Because of that, Ursa was expected to be the perfect pureblood daughter that her parents wanted her to be, only that wasn't who she was. She was Ursa, someone who didn't force herself to be what anyone wanted her to be.

It was that kind of attitude that put a wedge between Ursa and her parents, most notably her father. From as young as she could understand, Ursa knew that he resented her because she hadn't been born a boy to carry on as his heir. It was something that he had brought up plenty of times to use against her, constantly saying how disappointed he had been when he saw that she was a girl and that he'd even wanted to abandon Ursa and tell everyone that she'd died. But her mother had put her foot down and refused to give up her daughter.

When it came to Ursa's relationship with her mother, Ursa knew that her mother cared about her. Narcissa Malfoy was definitely your typical subservient pureblood wife so when it came to her husband berating their daughter, she always allowed it to happen. Only afterwards she would reassure Ursa that she had her mothers love, and Ursa knew that she was being honest and although Ursa loved her mother, it hurt her to know that Narcissa wouldn't stand up for her in the face of her husband.

Then there's the fact that Ursa was sorted into Ravenclaw, breaking the century-long tradition of all Malfoy's being sorted into Slytherin. Ursa could still remember the howler that her father had sent upon discovering where she had been sorted, and the embarrassment that had followed. Despite that, Ursa was a proud Ravenclaw and three years later, she was confident that the Sorting Hat had made the right decision for her, just like it had made the right decision for her younger brother, Draco.

Three years after she was born, her parents had another child and this time her fathers wish had been granted in having a boy. When it came to her parents, Ursa knew that her father favoured Draco over her and although her mother never said it, Ursa knew that she preferred her, simply because she was a girl. Narcissa spoiled her, just like Lucius spoiled Draco. Only the difference was that Draco was spoiled a little too much, which was what had allowed her brother to grow into a pompous, spoiled brat.

Although they were siblings, there really wasn't that much that Ursa had in common with her younger brother other than the fact that they were related. Draco was nothing like her, their father had moulded him into the perfect heir and Ursa wouldn't be surprised if he ended up giving it to Draco over her, not that she even wanted her fathers fortune. Just like Draco took after their father, Ursa took after their mother – looks wise, that is. Ursa was practically a carbon copy of Narcissa, with her blonde hair and blue eyes while her facial structure came from her father. Everything else made Ursa her own person, since unlike her brother, Ursa chose to form her own beliefs based on what she saw and experienced, not how she was expected to think.

It was because of this that Ursa found real friends in Ravenclaw, not people who were afraid of her like other people were just because she was a Malfoy. Ursa's closest friends were from Ravenclaw, though she did have other friends from the different houses. Her best friend and roommate, Tessa Hayes was a halfblood. The two had met after being sorted and had been friends ever since. Other than Tessa, Ursa didn't really have anyone that she considered a best friend. Sure, there were people that she called friends or exchanged pleasantries with, but Tessa was the only person that she would consider a best friend and Ursa was grateful for their friendship.

As a Ravenclaw, Ursa was very diligent when it came to her studies. Ursa excelled in Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. And although she did well in the other subjects that she took, those were easily her favourites. In the lead up to her Fifth Year, Ursa was aiming to be the Ravenclaw Prefect for her year. She liked to think that she was in pretty good contention for the esteemed position, since there were only so many other people in her year that could keep up with her.

Truthfully, Ursa didn't feel like a real Ravenclaw sometimes. Sure, she got good grades and could be witty when the time called for it. But Ursa only focused so much on getting grades because she knew that it was the only way that her father would notice her or even give her respect. That's where her Slytherin ambition came from, since Ursa wanted to do anything to make her parents proud. Anything except preach their bigoted and outdated beliefs, that is.

In the early months of her Fourth Year, Ursa continued as if everything was normal, only things at Hogwarts were anything but normal now that Harry Potter was among them. As soon as Ursa started Hogwarts, she knew that she would end up having Harry Potter around at some stage. She had watched as the boy had been sorted into Gryffindor, Slytherins rival house and based on what Ursa had heard, he was already friends with Ron Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley boys.

When it came to her family's bitter feud with the Weasleys, Ursa took no part in it. Anytime her father and the Weasley patriarch were in the same room, Ursa always went anywhere else to avoid whatever scuffle that would undoubtedly happen between them. There was bad blood between the Malfoys and the Weasleys, but Ursa didn't care. Despite that, she had befriended Charlie Weasley when he was still at Hogwarts with her. He had initially been wary of her because of her surname, but Ursa eventually won him around.

Along with Charlie, Ursa also befriended her ostracised cousin, Nymphadora Tonks. One of the main reasons why Ursa had been so excited to go to Hogwarts was to finally have the chance to meet her cousin who she never got the chance to meet due to her aunt, Andromeda Black running off and marrying a muggleborn. Funnily enough, Ursa didn't even have to seek out her cousin since Nymphadora (or Tonks as Ursa learned that she preferred) had come to comfort her after Ursa had been publicly humiliated by her fathers howler when he found out that she had been sorted into Ravenclaw. Their friendship had been kept a secret and it was because of her friendship with her cousin that Ursa eventually won Charlie around, and Ursa had been sad that she would be going to Hogwarts without them now that they had graduated. She still kept in touch with Charlie now that he was off playing with dragons in Romania as well as Tonks who was training to be an Auror.

Now Ursa was left at Hogwarts without them, but she knew that she would survive. She didn't face as many issues as she used to by being a Malfoy in Ravenclaw. Ironically, the people who gave Ursa the most grief for her house were the Slytherins. They always used to mock her for being a Malfoy in Ravenclaw, but Ursa was proud of that. She was proud to be breaking tradition, and she planned on breaking plenty of traditions in the future that would make her father's blood boil.

With her brother now at Hogwarts, Ursa had been concerned about how Draco would treat others due to the teachings that he learned from their father. To Ursa's dismay, Draco looked down upon anyone who wasn't a pureblood Slytherin. Word had quickly spread to Ursa about how Draco had offered his hand in friendship to Harry Potter, only to be shot down. Since then Ursa had been keeping her ears open for anything related to her brother, since she certainly couldn't just approach Draco and ask how he was doing. Whenever Ursa saw her brother around Hogwarts, she would give him a smile while he would sneer in return.

Sometimes Ursa was angry at how her father had manipulated Draco into being just like him. Then there were times when Ursa was disappointed that her brother had allowed himself to be manipulated and unable to form his own opinions, which wasn't how Ursa had grown up. She had made the choice to form her own opinions based on peoples actions rather than their bloodline, and since her father had already poisoned his mind, that was the catalyst for her now fragile relationship with her brother. All they had in common was their blood, and that saddened Ursa. Part of her felt like her father had done his best to cause a rift between them just to spite her because she wasn't the child that he wanted, and Ursa hated that.

With Hallowe'en quickly approaching, Ursa was spending her time helping decorate the Great Hall for the annual feast that occurred. Anytime that Hogwarts was done up was Ursa's favourite times, since as breathtaking as the castle was, it often felt boring seeing the same thing every day. Ursa had just finished carving into her pumpkin when Tessa approached her to help out.

"Guess what I just heard earlier," Tessa said.

"What?" Ursa wondered.

"Okay, so I was walking by the corridor and I over heard Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle talking," Tessa replied.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Aren't they Draco's friends?"

Tessa scoffed, "More like his cronies."

"What did you hear?" Ursa asked.

"So apparently, Draco challenged Harry Potter to a duel cause he's a petty boy and seems to have some issues with him. Crabbe was gonna be his second and Ron Weasley was Potters. Only your brother never showed, Filch did," Tessa explained.

"Ah, I see," Ursa mumbled as realisation dawned on her. "He challenged Potter to a duel knowing where he would be so that the boy would get in trouble."

"Exactly, only he and Weasley somehow managed to get out of trouble. They were talking about how cranky Draco's been since he saw that they were still alive and weren't expelled," Tessa said.

"Well, my little brother needs to learn that when you do clownery, this is what happens," Ursa remarked.

"Your brother also seems to do bullying very well," Tessa stated.

Ursa grimaced, "I know. There's not much I can do about that."

"Your brother has been particularly harsh towards a Gryffindor First Year, Hermione Granger," Tessa added.

"Hermione? That's an unusual name," Ursa commented.

"I've heard that she's a bossy know-it-all. At least, that's how I heard Ron Weasley complaining about her. She's also a muggleborn," Tessa supplied.

"That would also explain Draco's bullying towards her," Ursa muttered.

"I've heard him talking quite viciously about her and I've seen him bullying her on several occasions. Someone should wash that boys mouth with soap," Tessa remarked.

"Why would you wash your mouth with soap? That would be disgusting," Ursa pointed out.

Tessa giggled, "It's a muggle saying. It's what you say to someone with foul language."

"Draco definitely has a load of that," Ursa muttered.

"I still can't believe that you two are related," Tessa commented.

"Me neither," Ursa muttered.

There were definitely times when Ursa felt that she and Draco were hardly like siblings, particularly when their behaviour was challenged. Ursa could recall seeing one Gryffindor girl with bushy hair rustling about the castle with her hands full of books, which definitely matched the description of Hermione Granger. There were even a few times when Ursa had seen the other girl crying, and Ursa hated to think that her brother could be the cause of those tears. If only Draco wasn't such a daddy's boy and had a mind of his own, maybe then he wouldn't be as much as a prick as he was.

Having that thought, Ursa decided then and there that she would make it her mission to seek out Hermione Granger and protect her from her brothers bigoted hatred. Maybe by doing so, it would make Draco realise that spewing hatred and ridiculing people just because they didn't have 'pure' blood wasn't okay. It wasn't okay, and it would never be okay in Ursa's mind. She just had to make Draco see that too.

Doing so would definitely be a challenge, but Ursa Narcissa Malfoy had never been one to back down from a challenge.

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**So I get that this chapter didn't have any Draco or Hermione, but that was to give you a little more of an insight to Ursa's background and in particular, her relationship with her family which will be important as the story progresses. Since the Black family tradition is to name their children after stars, I searched up star names to find the right one for Ursa. At first, I wasn't really satisfied with the name but when I found out that Ursa actually borders the Draco constellation, I thought that it was the perfect fit. ****As for the name of the story, it was originally Eagles Bear but then I decided to change it to Little Bear, since that's basically what her name means.**


	2. Start of Something New

**Here comes the first meeting between Hermione and Ursa. If I hadn't already made it clear, majority of the story focuses on them and their friendship so don't go hoping for any Dramione romance soon. As for Ursa, if you're wondering what she looks like just picture a younger Narcissa with platinum blonde hair, but a bit of a ghostly colour to it like Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. She'd also wear her hair fancy like that too, so that's an image of Ursa in your mind if you want one.**

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**Start of Something New**

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Before introducing herself to Hermione Granger, Ursa decided that it was best to find out as much as she could about the girl so that when she did speak to her for the first time, she didn't say anything that Hermione wouldn't like. After doing some poking around, Ursa discovered that Hermione hadn't yet made any friends despite the occasional conversations with Harry Potter and a few other Gryffindors. Ursa herself hadn't yet met Harry Potter, but she was assuming that the boy wouldn't like her anyways due to her connection with Draco.

Other than that, there wasn't really that much to know about Hermione other than the fact that she spent a rather unhealthy amount of time in the library. With that in mind, Ursa decided that she would seek her out in the library since if she was ever going to introduce herself to the younger girl, it would have to be in a place with nobody around and the library was just that place.

So when the time was right, Ursa made her way to the library and looked around until she found Hermione at the back with a mountain of books beside her. Based on what Ursa had heard about the girl, she was quite studious and was already proving to be a favourite amongst the teachers. With the brilliance that she seemingly possessed, it made Ursa wonder how the girl hadn't ended up in Ravenclaw. That would certainly be something that she planned on asking her once they were on talking basis, which Ursa couldn't do until she approached her so she did just that with elegance and poise like she had been raised to.

"Hello," Ursa greeted her. "Reading, yes?"

"Um, yes," Hermione murmured.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Ursa asked.

Hermione shrugged, "If you want."

"Of course I do," Ursa smiled as she sat down next to the girl and prepared to introduce herself. "My name is Ursa."

Hermione's eyes widened, "As in Draco Malfoys older sister?"

"Yes, I am," Ursa confirmed.

"Why would you want to sit next to me?" Hermione narrowed her eyes, giving Ursa a distrustful look.

"Because I want to," Ursa replied. "Is that a problem?"

"It's just that… You're Malfoy's older sister and I'm me," Hermione answered.

"What's wrong with you?" Ursa asked.

"I'm… muggleborn," Hermione answered quietly.

"The first thing you'll learn about me, Hermione, is that unlike my brother, I do not judge people based on their blood status. I might have been raised to think like that and spew bigotry like Draco does, but I grew up with a brain of my own and didn't allow my father to influence my views," Ursa explained.

"So, you're nice?" Hermione clarified.

"It depends on how you define nice," Ursa smirked. "I'm certainly not like my brother, but I wouldn't know how to classify myself as nice. People tend to say that I have a rather stiff personality."

"It's been mentioned that I have a rather obnoxious personality," Hermione mumbled.

"Why would people say that?" Ursa wondered.

"Because I'm an eager student. I like studying and answering questions when asked, even when I wasn't asked the question. But most of my classmates seem to find that annoying, so I haven't made many friends," Hermione answered.

"Would you want to be my friend?" Ursa offered.

"Not to sound rude, but why are you even talking to me, let alone offering to be my friend when you barely know me?" Hermione asked.

Ursa shrugged, "I could always use more friends. As much as I love my Ravenclaw housemates, we are generally what we're portrayed as and it does become rather insufferable being around them."

"The Sorting Hat almost put me in Ravenclaw," Hermione admitted.

"Yet it put you in Gryffindor?" Ursa stated.

"Just like it put you in Ravenclaw," Hermione remarked.

Ursa chuckled, "Good point. I think out of everyone; I was the least surprised to find myself sorted into Ravenclaw. I might come from a family of pureblood Slytherins, but I know that I lack certain qualities that would've made me fit in with the snakes. I'm confident in the hats decision to put me in Ravenclaw. It would've been nice to change the 'all Slytherins are bad' stereotype, but I'm fine with taking on the challenge of proving that not all Malfoys are prejudiced snobs."

"You don't seem like one at all. You're probably one of the more nicer people that I've met since coming to Hogwarts," Hermione said.

"Well, thank you. Of all the lessons my parents tried teaching me, I did pay attention to manners," Ursa commented.

"So… you're a Malfoy, in Ravenclaw?" Hermione stated.

"Indeed I am. My father was furious when he found out. He sent a howler to me that everyone in the Great Hall heard, resulting in obvious embarrassment for me. But my father never quite seemed to care about me as much as he does for Draco," Ursa replied.

"I don't see why he would. No offence, but your brothers pretty mean," Hermione remarked.

"None taken. I'm sure my father would be proud of that since that's exactly how he raised Draco to be," Ursa said.

"Who would want to raise their child to spread bigotry and hatred?" Hermione asked.

"Pureblood supremacists who believe that muggleborns like yourself are beneath them. My father is the epitome of that just like my mother is your typical pureblood wife who dots on her husbands every need and doesn't have the backbone to stand up to him when he bullies his daughter," Ursa replied, ending that on a scowl. She loved her mother, really. But it would be nice for her mother to stand up to her father for her.

"I can't say that I can relate because I grew up knowing that both of my parents loved me. I guess it helped that I'm an only child too," Hermione said.

"Consider yourself lucky then that you never had to question your parents love for you. I know that my mother loves me, but only to a certain extent. As for my father, I know that if the opportunity presented itself, he would love nothing more than to name Draco as his rightful heir and leave me with nothing," Ursa said.

"He takes after his father then?" Hermione clarified.

"Yes. You would be rather unfortunate to meet him, Hermione. If you think Draco is bad then you should just imagine an older version of him but ten times worse. That is the best description of Lucius Malfoy that I could give you," Ursa explained.

"Then I hope I don't ever have the misfortune of meeting him like I have had with his son," Hermione murmured.

Ursa grimaced, "On behalf of my brother, I truly do apologise for whatever he has said or done to you. It is certainly not behaviour that I myself would reciprocate or condone in any shape or form. It's just unfortunate that my brother grew up naïve, thinking that his father could do no wrong despite his dark past."

"Is it… true?" Hermione asked.

"I can't say," Ursa shrugged. "While I would like to think that my father's claim of acting under the Imperious curse would be true, it does not help me sleep at night knowing that he preaches those same prejudiced beliefs that Lord Voldemort himself proclaimed."

Hermione shuddered, "Y-you can't say _his _name."

"Hermione, you should know that fear of the name only increases the fear of the thing itself. It would do you no good to fear someone like the Dark Lord since he embraced others fear of him and relished in it. He would be shuddering in his afterlife knowing that someone, let alone a muggleborn, didn't fear him," Ursa proclaimed.

"I suppose you have a point there," Hermione agreed.

"I like to think that I have a point about many things," Ursa smirked.

"Might I ask what other subjects you study? I've heard that third years get the choices of other electives that I didn't get to choose," Hermione said.

Ursa grinned, "Of course! My elective subjects are Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Creatures and Arithmancy are two of my best subjects. I do well in all of them, but I certainly excel there. I would take them any day over that useless Divination subject. It's a wasted space of magic if you ask me."

"Do you mind if I ask where your name comes from? I've never heard anything like it before," Hermione wondered.

"You see, my mother Narcissa was formerly a Black, and they have a tradition of naming their children after star signs or other celestial objects. Like Draco, from the Latin word of dragon in the northern sky. My name comes from the Ursa Minor and Ursa Major stars that actually border Draco's star," Ursa answered.

"But Narcissa isn't a star that I've heard of," Hermione pointed out.

"You're right there. My mother is the only Black that I know of whose name did not come from a star, only it is derived from Narcissus in Greek mythology. I would have to ask her about that one day," Ursa said.

"I could only imagine how fun it would be to research star names. We haven't done anything like that in Astronomy yet," Hermione stated.

"I've certainly spared a few hours look up the names of old relatives and their stars. It certainly is a fascinating concept, but the subject of Astronomy itself is more focused on studying the patterns and movement of the sky rather than the stars. It's certainly one of my favourite subjects too, and Professor Sinistra is one of my favourite teachers," Ursa said.

"I like Professor McGonagall. I can tell that she's got a soft spot for Gryffindors, but I suppose that's to be expected from the Head of Houses, since Professor Snape only seems to hate anyone who isn't a Slytherin," Hermione commented.

"Yes, he certainly does have a rather… unorthodox way of teaching. But unless you're a bad student in and outside of class, that gives him even more reason to dislike you. Though I have heard that he's particularly harsh on Gryffindors," Ursa replied.

"He is," Hermione nodded. "He seems to have this vendetta against Harry Potter, much like how your brother does."

"I'm sure that Draco's issue with the boy comes from the fact that he rejected his hand in friendship. My brother is a rather prideful boy, much like his father. If you do anything to ruin that, he'll try to ruin yours too," Ursa stated.

"He already has tried to," Hermione muttered.

"But do not let him, Hermione. I might have only just met you, but I can tell that you are a very bright young girl who certainly deserves better treatment than what you have gotten so far. Do not let Draco's bigotry effect you. I might not be able to read my brother like a book, but I know that if he does not like you, it would only be because of your blood status. And if he does try to bring you down, let me know so that I can try to do something about it," Ursa said.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to cause any issues with you and your family. Though I appreciate the offer, I can handle him on my own," Hermione argued.

"Nonsense. I already have enough issues with my family so defending you would hardly change anything, Hermione," Ursa insisted.

"Well, thank you," Hermione smiled. "I've never had a friend who would be willing to do that for me."

"Even in the muggle world?" Ursa narrowed her eyes.

Hermione nodded, "Even there, I didn't have that many friends because of other people's issues with me. Now that I know I'm a witch, I understand now why bad things would happen to people after they were mean to me as I got older and why strange things happened. Even though I might not fit in entirely, I do feel like I fit in here in the wizarding world."

"You do, Hermione. Whether you are muggleborn or not. Anyone who can do magic belongs here. Do not let anyone, let alone my brother, ever make you think otherwise," Ursa stated.

All Hermione could do was look at Ursa and smile, thankful that she had said that. Adjusting to life in the magical world had been more difficult than Hermione tried to let on just like dealing with the constant ridicule and judgement that she faced from her classmates. Although she might not have made many friends, Hermione was thankful to have seemingly found one in Ursa Malfoy.

And thus, a friendship was forged.


	3. Comforting Advice

**I'm trying to push through the first two years a lot quicker since the real drama in the story starts later on, so for the most part these first ten or so chapters will focus on the events of the first two books from Ursa's perspective with her acting as another informative.**

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**Comforting Advice**

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Spending time with Hermione Granger was actually rather enjoyable for Ursa. They tended to meet in secret at the library on random occasions before engaging in stimulating conversations for the both of them. There was never a set time or arrangement for their meetings, they would just find one another in the library whenever they were available. In the early days, Ursa was concerned for Hermione considering that the younger girl was yet to make any real friends.

It upset Ursa when she saw Hermione being bullied by the Slytherin students, though Hermione merely put on a brave face and moved on. Despite only having known her for a few weeks, Ursa was confident that it was just a show and that Hermione was truly hurt by some of the things that were said about her. As much as she wanted to, Ursa couldn't just stand up for Hermione since it would spark suspicion if a Malfoy started standing up for a muggleborn. Hermione had even told Ursa that she didn't want her to get involved, stating that she was big enough to fight her own battles. Now that was what made Hermione a Gryffindor.

On the day of Hallowe'en, Ursa had just came out of her last class for the day in double Potions when she met up with her friend Tessa and fellow Ravenclaw, Roger Davies. Ursa herself wasn't necessarily close with Roger, but he was good friends with Tessa so it wasn't unusual for him to join them. With their lessons out of the way, all they had to do now was prepare themselves for the feast that was taking place tonight.

"If I have to carve another pumpkin, it'll be too soon," Tessa remarked.

"Why would you even volunteer for that if you hated it so much?" Roger asked, since all Tessa had been doing lately was complain the Hallowe'en preparations that she had volunteered for.

"Because I thought it would give me bonus points for the Prefect consideration," Tessa shrugged before glancing at Ursa. "That was, until Miss Malfoy decided to join and ruin my chances."

"You asked me to help you," Ursa pointed out.

"You could've said no," Tessa argued.

"I did, and you continuously pestered me until I surrendered and agreed to your demands," Ursa said.

"Hmph," Tessa snapped.

They continued walking together until Ursa overheard a group of Slytherins – including Draco – talking about something, or someone. At first, Ursa thought nothing of it until she heard more of their conversation.

"Did you see the way Weasley upset Granger after Charms?" Gregory Goyle jeered.

Draco hollered, "Her face scrunched up as ugly as ever, serves her right for being a Mudblood."

"She really is an obnoxious know-it-all. I don't know how anyone could put up with her," Pansy Parkinson added.

It pained Ursa to hear Draco using such vulgar language, though she wasn't surprised. Her father had been training Draco to use that… disgusting word long before he arrived at Hogwarts. It certainly wasn't a part of Ursa's vocabulary and never would be. Knowing that Hermione was obviously upset, Ursa decided then and there that she was going to do the right thing and comfort Hermione who could probably use a friend right now.

After excusing herself from her friends, Ursa managed to find out that Hermione had locked herself away in one of the bathrooms following whatever had happened. When Ursa found the bathroom, she knew it was the right one considering the sniffles that could be heard from one of the stalls. Upon entering, Ursa quickly cast a silencing spell on the room and used her magic to lock the door. Doing magic outside of class only got you into trouble if you got caught, and Ursa had never been caught doing it before.

"Hermione, it's me, Ursa. I know you're in there," Ursa said gently as she knocked on the door.

A few moments passed before the door was slowly pushed open and revealed a rather dishevelled-looking Hermione. It was quite obvious that she had been crying, and Ursa's heart broke for her.

"Hi," Hermione murmured.

"I heard that you were upset, so I came to find you and see if you were alright," Ursa said.

Hermione sniffled, "I'd be lying if I said I was alright."

"Yes, it's quite clear to me that you are not," Ursa commented. "Do you want to sit down and talk about what happened?"

"But what if someone should hear or find us talking?" Hermione asked.

"I cast a silencing and locking charm on the door so that we have enough privacy. If we get caught, we'll just say that we got locked in and didn't have our wands," Ursa replied before sitting down near the door.

"I thought we weren't allowed to use magic outside of class," Hermione pointed out.

"You only get in trouble if you get caught," Ursa shrugged. "I guess that's the Slytherin side of me coming out. Now, come join me."

"I thought I was doing okay," Hermione grumbled as she slumped down next to Ursa. "I thought I was doing the right thing by helping my classmates and correcting them on their mistakes, but I guess I wasn't."

"Ronald Weasley upset you, didn't he?" Ursa checked.

Hermione sighed, "He did. I was simply correcting him on how to pronounce the Levitation Charm since he was saying the incarnation wrong. I don't understand how that made me deserve to be embarrassed."

"What did he do?" Ursa inquired.

"He said that I was a nightmare and that it wasn't any wonder that I hadn't made any friends yet," Hermione murmured.

"You have a friend in me, Hermione. You know that, right?" Ursa said.

"Of course I do, Ursa. It's just frustrating that nobody here seems to understand me. I appreciate your friendship, but you certainly can't understand me since I grew up in an entirely different world than you did. Not even the other muggleborns understand me. Nobody does. You might be my friend, but I'm still alone," Hermione vented.

Ursa bit her lip, unsure of how to respond to that. It was true that she couldn't understand Hermione since after all, Hermione had grown up in the muggle world while Ursa had grown up in a pureblood house that preached pureblood superiority. What did surprise Ursa was how it was a Weasley that had reduced her to being like this, since as far as Ursa was aware, the Weasleys were good people. At least better people than her father.

"Weasley didn't make fun of your muggle upbringing, didn't he?" Ursa checked.

"No. I think that I would've been able to handle that sort of insult. But the fact that he insulted me personally just because I was trying to help him is what upsets me," Hermione admitted.

Ursa sighed, "Listen, Hermione. You're a smart girl, that much is clear. Perhaps the reason why the other muggleborns can't understand you is because you've already surpassed their abilities. I certainly haven't met a muggleborn like you before who had such a quick grasp on magic."

"It still wasn't right for Ronald to say that about me," Hermione snapped.

If there was one thing that Ursa had noticed about Hermione in the time that she had known her, it was that the girl had a rather uptight personality for an eleven-year-old. Most kids Hermione's age were generally carefree and didn't worry too much about school or following the rules, and Ronald Weasley certainly fell into that category based on what Ursa knew about him. Ursa certainly wasn't justifying what he had said about Hermione, but she could understand why he had said it given the fact that Ursa saw so much of her uptight and studious personality in her.

"I think another reason why people struggle to understand where you're coming from is that not everyone has your exact focus and dedication to their studies. Kids your age should be out there having fun, not worrying about homework or rules. I think Ronald Weasley may have seen you as a 'nightmare' because he doesn't value what you value. He also may have gotten his ego hurt a little bit by being corrected by a girl, let alone a muggleborn," Ursa said.

"You know, Ursa. I didn't really have many friends at my muggle school either. They all thought I was a bookish freak since weird things always happened around me. Like this one time, when a girl called me ugly her well-done hair suddenly became all frizzy and outrageous. Then when I found out I was a witch, all of these other strange occurrences made sense," Hermione admitted.

"It sounds to me like your magic was starting to manifest itself at a very young age," Ursa observed.

"So when I found out about Hogwarts, I thought that I had finally found a place where I could fit in," Hermione continued. "But when I realised that not everybody would be like me and that I would be behind on magic, I tried to learn as much as I could so that I could make up for my lack of experience with my skills and knowledge. I had already read about the prejudice in the wizarding world, so I knew that it existed to a certain extent but I didn't expect to experience it so quickly."

"I'm sure Ronald's comments towards you have nothing to do with your blood status," Ursa reassured her. "You should know that his family are actually considered blood traitors, so it would be a surprise if Ronald did spew bigoted hatred towards you."

"His family are purebloods?" Hermione asked.

Ursa nodded, "Indeed they are. His mother comes from the Prewett family and his father comes from the Weasley family, both of which are from the Sacred Twenty Eight which is a list of the twenty eight families that have been deemed to have the most pure blood from their ancestors. The list is a load of nonsense if you ask me, but any pureblood who disagrees with the typical pureblood beliefs are considered blood traitors like the Weasley family."

"Now I'm even more confused as to why he would be mean to me," Hermione grumbled.

"As I said earlier, Hermione, perhaps Ronald Weasley dislikes you because you are so different from him. His family are certainly different from most wizarding families, given the fact that instead of living in a luxurious mansion like most pureblood families do, they live in a rather… unique house. His father, Arthur Weasley is obsessed with all things muggle and he even works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts at the Ministry," Ursa explained.

"Then shouldn't Ronald like me if his father likes all things muggle?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, not that I'm saying that there's anything wrong with you, but perhaps the reason why Ronald doesn't like you is because of your rather… uptight personality. You should try letting go every now and then. You can still be focused and dedicated to your studies, but being so studious and uptight tends to push people away from you. And this is coming from a Ravenclaw," Ursa suggested.

"Why should I be the one to change who I am? Shouldn't Ronald change so that he's not such a bully or has at least an ounce of respect for me?" Hermione questioned.

"Hermione, I'm only trying to help you understand where other people are coming from. You should take my advice since I'm generally used to not knowing where people are coming from," Ursa stated.

"I didn't realise that coming to Hogwarts would be so difficult," Hermione grumbled.

Ursa squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. My first experience at Hogwarts was difficult for entirely different reasons, but I adjusted. You will too and in a few years' time, you'll look back on this and wonder why you were being so silly in the first place."

"I hope that I'll have more good memories to forget about this. Gosh, people actually heard me crying. I'm going to be even more humiliated when I go out," Hermione groaned.

"I guess we should be heading off to the Hallowe'en feast," Ursa said.

"You go ahead, I think I'll just stay here and be upset," Hermione mumbled.

"Hermione, you don't have to be embarrassed about feeling upset because of something that you have every right to be angry about. One of the many lessons that my father tried enforcing on me was that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. I disagree, since I believe that it takes a lot of strength to show vulnerability, especially in front of people," Ursa stated.

"Thank you, Ursa. I appreciate your help," Hermione smiled weakly.

"I'll see you around then, okay?" Ursa checked.

Before Ursa could turn to leave, Hermione was quick to throw her arms around Ursa and give her a tight hug. Not being used to affection like this, Ursa awkwardly hugged Hermione back before pulling away and giving the girl a small smile. With that, Ursa turned and rather reluctantly left Hermione back to her sulking. For Hermione's sake, Ursa really did hope that the girl would grow out of this stage and learn to let go, since Ursa could see that Hermione had the potential to be a good and valuable friend to anyone.

~*•°•*~

On the night of Hallowe'en, chaos irrupted when Professor Quirrell came bursting in about a troll in the dungeons. Panic had overtaken Ursa as she realised that Hermione was in the bathroom _in _the dungeons, so she had gone to Professor McGonagall during the chaos to inform her of Hermione's whereabouts. Luckily, Hermione had managed to escape from the bathroom unharmed and had even gained two friends in Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley during the process, a revelation which surprised Ursa.

Following the formation of Hermione's friendship with the two boys, Ursa seemed to see less of Hermione as she seemed to be getting wrapped up in some kind of drama with Potter and Weasley. There had been the debacle at the first Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin where Harry had become the youngest player in centuries to play. Hermione would later inform Ursa that somebody had tried jinxing Harry's broom and that they suspected that Professor Snape was behind it, which didn't seem like that much of a far-fetched theory considering their Potions Professors past with the Potters.

Things seemed to be getting even more intense with Hermione and her new friends as they found themselves trying to solve the mystery of something that was hidden in Hogwarts. Always happy to help anyone with research, Ursa had spent many nights with Hermione in the library leading up to the Christmas holidays. Both Hermione and Ursa would be going home for the holidays, and since Ursa had plenty of books to go on back at Malfoy Manor, she would continue what they were doing at home.

"It must be nice living in a fancy manor," Hermione commented.

"Well, Malfoy Manor isn't exactly the most… welcoming place. It's pretty dark and depressing if you ask me. As much as I love my own personal library, it's about the brightest place in the entire mansion and that's only because of the different coloured books," Ursa said.

"You have your own _library_?" Hermione gasped.

Ursa shrugged, "It's more like a study, but it's got plenty of books that could be useful to us in hopefully finding out what's going on here."

"Hey, I think I found something interesting," Hermione stated.

"Read away," Ursa urged.

"Well, there's said to be this mirror called the Mirror of Erised hidden somewhere in Hogwarts. According to this book, it's said to show your deepest desires and was once hidden in this place called the Room of Requirement in 1891," Hermione read.

"Oh, I've heard of the Room of Requirement. It's said to be a hidden room that can only be revealed to someone when they really need it. Sometimes it's there, and sometimes it's not but when it is there, it's equipped for the seekers needs," Ursa explained.

"I could just dream up my own library," Hermione said dreamily.

"What, is the one at Hogwarts not up to your standards?" Ursa remarked.

"Of course, I'm just envious of you for having access to your _own _library. I've only ever been to public libraries before," Hermione stated.

"What do you think about the Mirror of Erised, Hermione?" Ursa wondered.

Hermione shrugged, "It's not something that I would personally want to find. Just think, if it's something that's supposed to present you with your deepest desires, it could give you something that you're totally unprepared for and didn't even know that you desired. That's not something I want to deal with."

"I suppose you do have a point," Ursa agreed, though she couldn't deny that she would secretly like to know what it was that her heart truly desired.

"I don't think that's what's hidden in Hogwarts, though. It seems to be a little too… trivial to be stored away somewhere, especially if it was already in the Room of Requirement that anyone can find if they really need it," Hermione said.

"You're right," Ursa nodded. "And you said that when Harry Potter first went to Gringotts with Rubeus Hagrid that he picked up this small parcel that he said was for Hogwarts business?"

"Yes, that's what Harry told me," Hermione confirmed.

"So unless its some part of the mirror, I doubt that the Mirror of Erised is what we're looking for," Ursa stated.

"And I'm willing to bet that whatever we're looking for is hidden behind that trapdoor with that three-headed dog," Hermione added.

"That's something else to look into over the break as well. I'm fairly certain that I've come across an animal like that in my reading before, but I distinctly remember it coming from a book of mythological creatures," Ursa said.

"It's hardly a mythological creature if it's real," Hermione pointed out.

"It's still something that we're going to have to find out, which I promise that I will do over my break," Ursa stated.

"Ursa, remember what you told me about not being so uptight all the time?" Hermione reminded her. "It's okay for you to enjoy your holiday like I will be doing. I'm sure that Harry and Ron will be doing the same while they remain at Hogwarts. You should take your own advice, Ursa."

"Look at me, being advised by an eleven-year-old," Ursa remarked.

"I'm not just any normal eleven-year-old," Hermione retorted.

Ursa chuckled, "Right you aren't."

"Anyways, I don't think that I'm going to be able to get through this book today so I'm just going to check this out for some light reading," Hermione said, gesturing to one large book beside her.

"You know, Hermione, most people would recoil at the thought of that being considered light reading," Ursa joked.

"We're not most people, Ursa Malfoy," Hermione stated.

"And that's what I like about us, Hermione Granger," Ursa grinned.

"I better head off now, I'll see you later," Hermione said as she got up to leave.

"Right you will," Ursa called out to her, knowing that nobody else was around to hear and that Madam Pince wouldn't be around to shush her. Besides, she always cast silencing spells around her and Hermione whenever they met up just so that nobody could hear what they were saying.

As Hermione walked away, Ursa couldn't help but think about the topic of the Mirror of Erised. If it was hiding somewhere in Hogwarts, that meant that Ursa would be able to find it and the Ravenclaw Malfoy liked to think that she was pretty sneaky. Finding it would be one thing, but actually witnessing what her greatest desire was would be something else.

Truthfully, Ursa already suspected that she knew what her deepest desire was, though she wanted to find the Mirror of Erised to hopefully deny what she suspected her desire was. So with that in mind, Ursa set out to find the Mirror of Erised and to discover what it is that she truly wanted for herself.


	4. Unearthed Desires

**When it comes to my writing, I have a habit of straying from what I had originally planned which was what I did with this chapter since I hadn't originally intended for Ursa to find the Mirror of Erised, but then I wanted her to find it so I decided to write it into the story. If you're confused about the timing, it would happen before the Christmas holidays so this would be before Harry finds the mirror. I've also changed the name of the story to Little Bear since that's basically what Ursa Minor means in Latin and I liked that name better than Eagles Bear.**

* * *

**Unearthed Desires**

* * *

Finding the Mirror of Erised was easier said than done for Ursa. No sooner than when she decided to find it had she realised that she had no idea where it would be. The last known location of the Mirror of Erised was the Room of Requirement, but Ursa didn't know how to find the room. With that in mind, Ursa decided to get some help from the ghost of Ravenclaw, Helena.

When it came to Helena Ravenclaw, not many people actually knew of her identity as she was mostly referred to as the Grey Lady. Ursa had discovered her true identity from Helena herself in her third year, as Helena made it quite clear that Ursa was one of the only few humans that she trusted. Helena was always helpful when Ursa needed her knowledge, and since Helena was a ghost and could go anywhere, Ursa assumed that she would know where the Mirror of Erised was if it was hidden in the Room of Requirement.

Although Helena appeared to be somewhat hesitant to give Ursa the location of the mirror, that is what she did and that was how Ursa found herself in an abandoned classroom located on the fourth flour of the Hogwarts Castle. It had clearly been moved, since this certainly wasn't the Room of Requirement that Ursa was expecting to find. Ursa was somewhat surprised that someone would just leave it in a place like this where anyone could find it, but she certainly wasn't going to complain as it made her quest that much easier.

"Let's see what you have to show me," Ursa murmured as she approached the mirror.

Taking a deep breath, Ursa looked up at the mirror as she braced herself for what she was about to see. All along Ursa had suspected what the mirror would show her, but she had wanted to find it to hopefully prove her wrong. Sure enough, as Ursa stared at her reflection in the mirror, two figures appeared behind her. Ursa sighed as she knew it was her mother and father, staring down at her with pride in their eyes. She had seen that look before, but never was it aimed at her from both of them.

For the longest time, all Ursa had wanted was for her parents to be proud of her. Although she suspected that her mother was since she at least said she was proud of her, Ursa rarely saw her mother look at her with genuine pride. As for her father, he had never voiced his pride in her, when all he did was say the opposite. It was the same all the time, how much of a disappointment she was for being a Ravenclaw, how much she failed to live up to their expectations and why Draco was better than her.

Deep down, Ursa knew that her desire was achievable. It wasn't like she longed for something unattainable, but obtaining her parents pride might as well be just that. All Ursa would have to do is abandon the non-prejudiced beliefs that she had taught herself and be just like Draco. Only then would they look at her like they looked at him. But Ursa wasn't willing to sell her morals just to have her parents proud of her. If anyone needed to change anything, it was them since it was their standards that were inaccurate and unrealistic.

"Do you see what you like, Miss Malfoy?" another voice behind her asked.

Turning around, Ursa saw Professor Dumbledore standing in the corner of the room. Ursa would be surprised at his sudden presence if it weren't for the fact that the Headmaster always seemed to know what was going on. So the fact that he knew she was here hardly surprised her.

"I see what I want," Ursa replied.

"Are you aware of this mirrors properties?" Dumbledore inquired.

Ursa nodded, "I know that it shows you what you truly desire, just like what it is showing me now."

"And is your true desire what you like?" Dumbledore questioned.

"It's what I expected, but not necessarily what I want because I do not feel comfortable with doing what I would have to do in order to obtain that desire," Ursa answered.

"Then I should advise you not to let what you see make you forget to live, Miss Malfoy. Many who have come to seek the mirror before you have gone mad on seeing what it presents them, because it does not do well to dwell on dreams that may seem fruitless," Dumbledore stated.

"But how does the mirror know what I want? It would have to have some incredibly powerful magic to be able to see what my heart desires," Ursa wondered.

"There is much unknown about the mirrors knowledge as its creator remains a mystery, though many have suspected that it was hardly created to serve a functional purpose," Dumbledore replied. "Do you mind if I ask what it is that you desire?"

"My parents proud of me," Ursa answered honestly, seeing no point in lying to an all-knowing wizard like Dumbledore. "As you would know, that's hard to come by. I don't particularly live up to their standards so for many years I have been seen as a disappointment. My family may have strayed from the Dark Arts, but they still believe that all muggleborns or any magical being that doesn't possess pureblood is beneath them. I do not believe that, and as you would imagine, my beliefs have caused quite a bit of friction over the years."

"I always did find it fascinating that you weren't like any of the other members of your family that have come and gone over the years. You should feel proud of yourself, Ursa, for not being like what your parents want you to be but being like what _you _want to be. You should not need their pride to feel worthy of anything else, just like you should not have to do anything to make them proud," Dumbledore said.

"I know, but I'd just like to hear them say it and _know _that they mean it," Ursa mumbled.

"You are quite an extraordinary student, Ursa Malfoy. It has been a pleasure watching you become your own person over the years and I see the potential for much more from you in the future. Though I could assume that because of the fact that your parents do not look at you with pride that their beliefs have hardly changed like they claim," Dumbledore stated.

Ursa sighed, "Forgive me, Headmaster, but I do not wish to divulge any family secrets that might be turned against me. My family might not be how I wish it was, but they are still my family and I would not betray their trust. Although some would say that I might have already said enough, I have merely said what is already public knowledge as my father has made his feelings about me quite clear."

"You are indeed a clever girl, Ursa. Just remember not to dwell on what the mirror has shown you, as the mirror can be incredibly dangerous for those who dwell on dreams that make them forget to live," Dumbledore advised her.

In an instant, it was like the Headmaster suddenly disappeared into thin air as Ursa found herself alone in the classroom. His words had been wise enough, and Ursa knew that she would not be doing herself any favour by obsessing over what she already knew she wanted. Ursa had only wanted to find the mirror to hopefully prove her thoughts wrong, only it had showed her just what her desire truly was, something that she had always wanted but had never voiced out loud.

Deciding that it was best to forget about the mirror and focus on helping Hermione with the mystery that she had entangled herself in, Ursa left the abandoned classroom with the intention of never having to return again. Dumbledore's praise and advice echoed in her ears, and although she new he was right in saying that she shouldn't have to do anything to make her parents proud, it was still what Ursa wanted. Really, who could blame a child for just wanting to make their parents proud?

~*•°•*~

Going home for the holidays had proven to be very useful to Ursa, as she had been able to find a lot that would prove to be helpful for Hermione in what she was searching for. Ursa had discovered what specific magical creature was hovering above the trapdoor and using her fathers connections, she had been able to find who the owner of the vault was that Harry Potter went to during his visit at Gringotts.

Since Ursa couldn't just chat casually with Hermione, she needed to wait for their irregular library meetings in order to deliver her information. Moments after Ursa had set her books down, she saw Hermione approaching her and it looked like she had something else to say too. No sooner than when Ursa had cast her silencing spells did she and Hermione face each other and say the exact same thing at the exact same time.

"I found something!"

Ursa chuckled, "You first."

"I found out something about what we might be looking for," Hermione replied as she dropped a heavy book on the table that she had checked out for light reading. "I was so stupid by wasting Harry and Ron's time when I already had the answer! Well, I didn't already have the answer but I had it in here."

"What answer?" Ursa wondered.

"I think I know what Hagrid took from that vault at Gringotts. You see, I was reading through this when I came across the name of Nicolas Flamel, who Hagrid mentioned earlier when talking about his business with Professor Dumbledore. According to this, Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosophers Stone," Hermione explained.

"The Philosophers Stone?" Ursa repeated.

"It's-" Hermione started, only to be cut off by Ursa.

"I know what it is, Hermione," Ursa interjected. "It's just that, the Philosophers Stone is one of the most sought after objects in the wizarding world. Plenty of people have tried finding it to discover Flamel's secret to immortality, and didn't you say that someone tried breaking into that same vault on the same day that Potter visited Gringotts?"

"I did," Hermione said.

"Someone clearly wants to steal it then, and if it's the Philosophers Stone, I could think of one person who would want it," Ursa stated.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Voldemort," Ursa replied.

Hermione gasped, "But I thought he was dead?"

"That's what most people believe, and it's certainly what the Ministry would _want _people to believe. But there are still people who believe that he's alive, but barely in a human form and something like the Philosopher's Stone would be able to restore him to full strength if he is deformed," Ursa explained.

"It would be scary if he did come back…" Hermione trailed off. "But as long as Dumbledore is here, we should be safe, right? I've read that Dumbledore is the only person that You-Know-Who was ever afraid of."

"That's what I understand," Ursa nodded thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"It's just that, I think I remember hearing something about Voldemort being at school once. Not many people actually know who he really was before he started using his name. I know that he used Voldemort as his alias and that it was part of an anagram from his birth name, and I swear that I've heard his real name from somewhere before," Ursa said.

"You should try finding it out. We might be able to learn more about him if we know who he really is, because I think that for someone to create an entirely new identity and forgo their old one, they would have to have a reason to," Hermione commented.

"Just like there would have to be a reason why Voldemort was so against muggleborns. I realise that those sort of beliefs are held in pureblood families, but no pureblood has ever raged a war against them. I would almost compare Voldemort's war against muggles like that famous muggle German, Adolf Hitler who raged a war against Jews," Ursa said.

"You know muggle history?" Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I do take Muggle Studies," Ursa shrugged. "My father just about had an aneurism when I told him that I would be taking that subject."

"But why?" Hermione wondered.

"Because I was curious about how muggles did things and how their society worked in comparison to ours. I actually find their literature and type of arts fascinating. Any kind of muggle art is fascinating to me," Ursa answered. "Though, I did kind of say that I was taking Muggle Studies as a joke, but after my father's reaction, I decided to take it just to spite him before I realised that the muggle lifestyle and history is rather fascinating."

"You like the arts?" Hermione asked.

"I love them! Especially music. I find muggle musicals particularly entertaining and if I could have any career in the world, I would love to be involved with the arts," Ursa said wistfully. "Unfortunately, my father would not be supportive of such a career choice as he believes I should be focused on getting a job at the Ministry so that I can be of use to the family."

"Do you sing?" Hermione inquired.

Ursa blushed, "To myself, occasionally. My friend Tessa says that I have a lovely voice but I cannot be sure if she is being genuine or just saying that because she is my friend."

"I hear that Flitwick has this choir thing with frogs. Maybe you should give it a go," Hermione suggested.

"Maybe," Ursa agreed. "Now, speaking of the arts. What is it with those eccentric singers who always sound like they're screaming instead of singing?"

"You mean opera?" Hermione clarified.

"Ah, yes. That was what it was called," Ursa murmured.

What followed was a rather enticing conversation with Hermione about muggle arts which resulted in Hermione trying to explain to Ursa how muggle movies worked. Although Ursa took Muggle Studies and enjoyed learning about muggles, she struggled to understand how it was that they did things and how they worked. Her friend Tessa had a muggle father, so despite Tessa having told her countless times how their devices worked, Ursa was still confused on how muggles were able to adapt without magic.

But by having a muggleborn friend in Hermione Granger, Ursa could certainly see herself becoming more attuned with the muggle lifestyle. Who knows, maybe Hermione would be with Ursa as she entered the muggle world for the first time, because that was certainly something that Ursa would love to do without her father breathing down her neck.


	5. Facing Reality

**To those of you who are favouriting and following the story, I'd really appreciate it if each and every one of you left just a little review on each chapter since it'd be nice to know what more than one person thinks of the story. Anyways, this chapter marks the end of the main events in the Philosophers Stone so things will be moving on shortly. It's also come to my attention that when I mentioned Roger Davies in Chapter Three, that was when I thought he was a Seventh Year during the Goblet of Fire which would've been in the same year as Ursa, only he's mentioned again in the Order of the Phoenix so for the purpose of this story, Roger Davies is a year ahead and in the same year as Ursa and her friend Tessa.**

* * *

**Facing Reality**

* * *

With her fourth year coming to an end, Ursa put her focus onto ensuring that she achieved the best grades that she could so that she'd stand out amongst the Prefect candidates. Ursa was already preparing herself for her O. since she would be taking them next year, and in a true Ravenclaw fashion, she had to be prepared. In the meantime, Ursa was still helping Hermione in any way that she could with her mission that she had with Potter and Weasley by informing her that the three-headed dog that she had encountered was potentially related to a Cerberus, a mythological creature that is said to have been able to be put to sleep using peaceful music. Using her fathers connections, Ursa was also able to discover that the vault that had been broken into belonged to Hogwarts.

In that time, Hermione managed to get herself detention with a few Gryffindors and Draco. One of those Gryffindors happened to be Harry Potter, who could've sworn that he'd seen Voldemort feasting on unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest. When Ursa asked Draco about it, her younger brother tried to make himself sound way cooler than he was by implying that he'd faced off against the creature while Hermione said that he'd just ran off screaming, which Ursa found to be more believable since her brother tended to exaggerate things to make himself look better. Although Harry Potter seemed convinced that it was Voldemort that had been feasting on unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest, Ursa wasn't sure if she wanted to believe that considering what it would mean for her family.

Since Harry Potter was also convinced that Professor Snape was going to steal the stone and give it to Voldemort so that he could be mortal again, Hermione had been roped into sneaking into the forbidden corridor with Potter and Weasley. Ursa didn't know when they would be going through with that plan, but for their sakes she hoped that they would be able to do whatever it was that needed to be done. On the other hand, Ursa didn't suspect that Snape was going to be the one who attempted to steal the stone because on the day that the original theft at Gringotts had taken place, Snape was having drinks at Malfoy Manor with her parents.

In the lead up to the final Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match of the year, Tessa had been beside herself with excitement and anticipation while Ursa could hardly care about Quidditch, since she only ever bothered to show up to games out of support for her house. That, and because Tessa was a Quidditch fanatic and always dragged her out to watch their matches. Since Gryffindor had Potter on their team, Ravenclaws chances of winning were probably slim since although the boy was a mere first-year, he was a particularly gifted Seeker. Though Ursa had no doubt that Draco would be trying out for the Slytherin team next year so that he could one-up Harry Potter.

"I'm so excited for the match. It's going to be great!" Tessa exclaimed as she dragged a reluctant Ursa out of Ravenclaw Tower.

"Losing is going to be great?" Ursa remarked.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…" Tessa trailed off with a smirk.

"What did you do?" Ursa asked.

Tessa held up her hands in defence, "I didn't do anything. Potter did, actually."

"What?" Ursa narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I heard from Padma Patil who heard from her sister Parvati who heard from Lavender Brown, who heard from Seamus Finnigan who was told by Neville Longbottom-" Tessa began.

"Quit the rumour mill and just tell me what you heard," Ursa interjected.

"Apparently Potter is knocked out unconscious in the Hospital Wing and won't be able to attend the match which gives Ravenclaw the chance to win! Isn't that great?" Tessa beamed.

"Wait, why is Potter knocked out unconscious?" Ursa wondered.

Tessa shrugged, "I don't know, something about going down the forbidden corridor and murdering Professor Quirrell with his bare hands. Anyways, they're going to be down a Seeker and I heard that apparently Wood never found a substitute since he was so confident in Potter which means they could be playing without a Seeker which means that we could win!"

"So what you're saying is that Professor Quirrell is dead and that Potter supposedly killed him and all you can think about is Quidditch?" Ursa clarified.

"So?" Tessa mumbled.

"You should sort out your priorities," Ursa suggested.

Tessa rolled her eyes, "Hey, if Professor Dumbledore made a big deal about Quirrell dying, I'd be a lot more concerned but since Quirrell was apparently being controlled by You-Know-Who and we've been reassured that everything is fine, there's nothing to stress about. Hey, this means that we'll be getting a new Defence teacher next year! It's a good thing since Quirrell was a rubbish teacher anyways. Not even You-Know-Who possessing his body made him better."

"Yeah," Ursa murmured.

By the time Ursa had arrived at the Qudditch pitch for the match, she had heard several different versions about what had transpired between Harry Potter and Professor Quirrell. Quidditch was certainly the furthest thing from Ursa's mind so she hardly even paid attention to the game, only even bothering to acknowledge it when she saw that Gryffindor had suffered their worst defeat in over three hundred years. What Ursa was really worrying about was Hermione, since although she had only known the girl for a few months now, Ursa did not wish for anything bad to happen to her.

When the excitement of the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw Quidditch match came down and news broke out about Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley leaving the Hospital Wing, Ursa headed to the Library and waited for Hermione to join her so that she could get the full story. After meeting secretly for almost the entire year, it was almost an unspoken agreement that they met up in the Library whenever there was something to talk about, and there certainly was after what went down with Professor Quirrell.

"It's good to see that you're in one piece," Ursa commented as Hermione approached her looking a bit banged up, but fine, nonetheless.

"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey was sure to keep Ron and I in the Hospital Wing for extra observation. I don't even want to think about the classes that I've missed," Hermione replied.

Ursa chuckled, "It's only been a week, Minnie. I'm sure you'll catch up just fine if you hadn't already read ahead."

"What did you just call me?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, Minnie," Ursa replied.

"As in the mouse?" Hermione questioned.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "What mouse is called Minnie?"

"It's a cartoon mouse," Hermione explained.

"Oh, well I'm not comparing you to a mouse or anything. I'm simply shortening your name so that it is easier to say. People do that all the time, do they not? What do they call it… er, knack-names?" Ursa said.

Hermione smiled, "You mean nicknames. And I've never really had any of those before because my name isn't exactly nickname friendly. Any nicknames that I have gotten in the past have been rude and annoying."

"Well, if you have a problem with Minnie I can find something else to call you," Ursa stated.

"Actually, Minnie's fine. It's quite cute, actually," Hermione conceded.

"Very well then," Ursa nodded. "So, Minnie. Would you care to regale me in all the thrilling details of your adventure in the forbidden corridor?"

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed. "So, we hadn't actually planned on going down the corridor when we did but Harry was so sure that Snape was going down that night and that we'd have to get to the Philosophers Stone before him. But when we encountered the three-headed dog, it had already been put to sleep by a magical harp."

"Just like the Cerberus in the legend," Ursa commented.

"We then encountered the Devil's Snare that had been put there by Professor Sprout. It almost choked us to death but we remembered that it was sensitive to sunlight so we were able to get out of it in one piece," Hermione continued.

"But why would Professor Sprout put the Devil's Snare in there?" Ursa wondered.

"Because before we went down the corridor, Hagrid told us that the teachers were working together to protect the Philosophers Stone. They had each set up some kind of challenge that we had to solve in order to get to the stone. Professor Sprouts was the Devil's Snare, then Professor Flitwick had charmed these winged keys that made it almost impossible to get them but Harry did by using his flying abilities. After that we had to beat a magically enchanted chess board that had been put there by Professor McGonagall. Even Quirrell had put an obstacle in, and it was a troll that had already been defeated. Our last challenge was a set of Potions riddles that had been put in by Snape," Hermione explained.

"And let me guess, you needed logic to solve that one," Ursa deduced.

"How'd you know that?" Hermione enquired.

Ursa shrugged, "Because Professor Snape is a very logical person. He wouldn't make a task that anyone would be able to solve. And besides, Potions is a logic kind of field anyways."

"After the chess game, Ron had sacrificed himself so that Harry and I could go ahead. I then solved the Potions challenge which allowed Harry to go ahead to the final chamber. We didn't get to go in it, but Dumbledore told us that the Mirror of Erised had been put in there and that he had put a twist on it. He said that if we wanted to know what it was that we'd have to wait for Harry to tell us when he woke up," Hermione said.

"Potter is still unconscious?" Ursa clarified.

Hermione nodded, "We're not sure what exactly happened down there, but Dumbledore thinks that Harry had been knocked out by Voldemort's spirit or something like that because since Voldemort was taking up residence in Quirrell's body, Dumbledore thinks that he doesn't have one of his own."

"But… Potter killed him. How could he have died but still be alive with no body?" Ursa questioned.

"I thought you said that some people believed that Voldemort had survived and was still out there but in a deformed state," Hermione pointed out.

Ursa sighed, "Minnie, you just have to understand what him returning would mean for me and my family. Even though my father says that he's changed, I'm sure that he would be more than happy to jump back into Voldemort's inner-circle while Draco and I would be expected to follow him."

"Oh…" Hermione trailed off. "But so long as Dumbledore is around, we're all safe? He was the only wizard who Voldemort ever feared. And we've got Harry who was destined to defeat him. So even if Voldemort returns, we'll be safe here at Hogwarts."

"I doubt Hogwarts will be entirely safe now that Harry Potter is among us. That boy seems to be a glutton for trouble," Ursa remarked.

"Not that Harry welcomes it," Hermione pointed out. "He's never said it, but I think that being the Chosen One and having the attention that comes with it really annoys him."

"It'd annoy me too having people fawn over me without even knowing me," Ursa said.

"Anyways, the year is almost over so that means we get to go home for summer!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yep, and there's still the House Cup to be awarded so unless Slytherin suffers a major point deficit they'll most likely be the winners for the seventh year in a row," Ursa stated.

Hermione groaned, "Ugh, they'll be even more insufferable after that. But it doesn't matter. There's always next year and they can't keep winning forever. It would help if the other Professors had as much bias as Snape does. The other houses wouldn't be so behind if Snape didn't penalise anyone for not being a Slytherin."

"There's nothing that we can do about that," Ursa shrugged. "But what we can do is look forward to next year and what it'll bring."

"You're going out for Prefect, aren't you?" Hermione said.

Ursa nodded, "I am. I've done my best to ensure that I'm at the top of my class and I won't find out until the summer break. My friend Roger says that he's going to be promoted to Quidditch captain next year, and Draco will undoubtedly be going out for the Slytherin Quidditch team so that he can one-up Potter."

"Draco on the Slytherin Quidditch Team? That's certainly not something that I'd want to see," Hermione muttered. "No offense."

"None taken. I get that he's my brother, but my brother is also a jerk and I can just tell that he's going to be going on and on about Potter all summer break. You better send help for me. But at least I get to go home and be with my cat," Ursa grinned.

"You have a cat?" Hermione asked.

"I do," Ursa nodded. "Her name is Cleo and I've had her since I was seven. My mum got her for me as a birthday present and my father has resented her for doing that ever since because he hates cats. I wanted to bring her with me to Hogwarts, but because of that stupid one pet only rule, I settled on an owl for communication purposes."

"I think it'd be amazing to have a magical pet, but my parents would probably a be a bit freaked out because of that, so I'll most likely stick to muggle pets," Hermione commented.

Their conversation soon shifted from Quirrell and the events that had transpired that year before talking about anything else. With the year coming to an end, Ursa knew that she would have to start preparing herself for what was next to come because she knew that now that Harry Potter was at Hogwarts, nothing would ever be normal again.

~*•°•*~

The school year came and went. In a surprise turn of events, Gryffindor ended up winning the House Cup after Dumbledore handed out an enormous amount of points to Hermione and her friends. Although Ursa knew that it was largely due to Snape's bias that Slytherin was able to even obtain such a lead in the House Cup, she did find it unfair that Dumbledore's bias towards Gryffindor secured them the win. It made someone finally defeating Slytherin in the House Cup a little more underwhelming. Ursa even felt bad for the Slytherins, because she knew that not all of them were bad and that some of them would've had a whole years' worth of work being taken away from them in one swift motion. Ursa also knew that Draco would undoubtedly be complaining about that all summer, something that she was definitely not looking forward to.

Upon arriving back at Malfoy Manor, Ursa and Draco were quickly greeted by their mother who showered them with hugs and kisses as she welcomed them home. While her mother wasn't typically the affectionate type, she always did tend to be a little more expressive when Ursa returned after being away for so long. Ursa was then greeted by her cat, Cleo, who jumped into her arms as Ursa was all too happy to give her cat some much needed adoration. Their father eventually joined their family reunion before sneering at Cleo as she rested in Ursa's arms.

"Must you insist on keeping that feral beast in this house while you go away?" Lucius scowled.

"She's not a beast, father. She's a cat and so long as she is, she will be staying here," Ursa proclaimed.

"Alright, everyone. Let's move this reunion to the dining room where we have prepared dinner for you. I'm sure that you have plenty to tell us about," Narcissa said.

When her mother said, 'prepared dinner', what she undoubtedly meant was that the House Elves had made it for them. Every pureblood family generally had a House Elf, and it was almost amusing to Ursa that whenever other families were invited over or when she went to other peoples houses that the family tried to act as if they'd done everything. Ursa generally loved all of her House Elves and treated them with respect, though one elf in particular, Dobby, tended to be rather annoying and riled her father up.

"So, tell us about your year. What kind of exciting fun did you get up to?" Narcissa asked.

"Well, I mostly spent my time studying so that I could achieve top marks and get that Prefect position next year," Ursa replied.

"Do you think that you will get it?" Narcissa wondered.

"The last time I spoke with Flitwick, he said that I was certainly in contention for the spot and was one of the more impressive candidates. My marks were as impressive as ever so hopefully that'll be enough to win me that title. Then in my Sixth Year I can start aiming to be Head Girl," Ursa answered.

Lucius scoffed, "You'll have to dream on that, Ursa. For generations the Malfoy family has attended Hogwarts and not one of us has been appointed one of the Head positions despite everything our family has done for that blasted school. I was lucky enough to be given my Prefect title through hard work but not even that was enough to get me as Head Boy despite consistently outperforming everyone in my year."

"That might be true, Father. But for generations Malfoys were sorted into Slytherin and I broke that tradition. Perhaps I might be the first Malfoy to become Head Girl. How ironic would that be, considering none of you that were in Slytherin were able to claim the top spot despite coming from the best house," Ursa commented.

"That old fool Dumbledore is biased towards us Malfoys," Lucius scowled, though Ursa had a feeling that he was scowling more at her comment.

"Dumbledore wasn't always Headmaster," Ursa pointed out.

"You want to know who Dumbledork is biased towards? Those bloody Gryffindorks!" Draco snarled.

"How creative," Ursa muttered, bracing herself for Draco's ranting.

"Slytherin managed to get to first place in the House Cup by a long shot. We'd easily had it won and the Great Hall had already been decked out in our colours. He'd even announced us as the winners! But of course, Dumbledork couldn't let his precious Gryffindorks lose so he rigged it so that they won! It was humiliating, sitting there as everyone cheered for them while we suffered a painful defeat," Draco ranted.

"Yes, I did find it rather over the top and unfair of Dumbledore to just announce the points like that," Ursa admitted. "If he was going to ensure that Gryffindor won, he should've at least added the points before the Great Hall was already decorated in Slytherin colours."

"Oh please," Draco scoffed. "You're just as glad as everyone else was that someone finally beat the evil Slytherins."

"No, I'm on your side here, Draco," Ursa sighed.

"Dumbledore has always favoured his precious Gryffindor's. I expect that he was even worse with Potter now that he's in red and gold colours," Lucius muttered.

"Don't even get me started on Potter," Draco snarled. "Bloody Saint Potter. Walking around as if he owns the place. He gets praised for doing the bare minimum. That old bat McGonagall worked around the no brooms for first years rule just so that he could play Quidditch! They would've made Potter played Quidditch even if he was a bloody _squib! _It's just ridiculous. Everybody thinks that Potter is just _so _great when he's not! And he has the nerve to reject my offer of friendship and befriend the likes of blood-traitors and muggleborns?"

"What kind of friends does Potter have?" Narcissa wondered.

"He's friends with the youngest Weasel moron and some muggleborn girl who's the most insufferable know-it-all that you'd ever meet!" Draco exclaimed.

"Mudbloods have no place at that school," Lucius scowled before turning to Ursa who flinched at the use of that vulgar word. "And you're still off frolicking with those half-blooded friends of yours?"

"Yes, Father, because they are my _friends_. And we don't 'frolic.' We do normal stuff that friends do. We study together, go to Hogsmeade together. It's _fun_," Ursa replied.

"And you want to know what's even worse? Is that _she,_" Draco started as he pointed a finger at Ursa. "Is off frolicking with Potters muggleborn friend too!"

"Ursa, is this true?" Narcissa asked.

Ursa sighed, "I have had a few civil conversations with said muggleborn. Besides, don't you both think that it would be smarter to be polite and civil with muggleborns and half-bloods rather than belittling them? Doing so doesn't really show that we've changed our beliefs like you claim that we have."

"Ursa does have a point, Lucius. It would certainly not do our family image good to go off insulting people like muggleborns and half-bloods. And I think that so long as Ursa keeps in regular contact with Potters muggleborn friend, it could be useful for us in the future," Narcissa suggested.

"Fine," Lucius agreed sharply before glaring at Ursa. "Not that you would even have an issue with spending time with muggleborns."

"Because I can see them without looking at their blood status?" Ursa remarked.

"Why do you always have to be so _soft_, Ursa? You should be more like Father," Draco said, and Ursa internally rolled her eyes, knowing that this was Draco's way of sucking up to their father and that Lucius would certainly see through it but love it, nonetheless.

"I wish she were more like me, Draco. You have done so well to be an admirable son worthy of carrying the Malfoy name while your sister is less than the ideal heir. I would've preferred to have had a _squib _for a daughter rather than one who's on her way to becoming a blood traitor," Lucius scowled.

"Well, forgive me then for having a mind of my own and for not being so easily manipulated like your perfect son," Ursa spat as she got up from her seat and turned to her mother. "It is lovely to be home mother, but I must rest now after spending the last few months working hard to achieve my future goals. We may catch up later if you wish."

Turning on her heel, Ursa left the dining room and returned to her room while the rest of her family was undoubtedly talking about how disappointing she was. Family gatherings like this were always frosty, especially when her father would make snide remarks towards her while encouraging Draco to do the same. Ursa considered herself luck that this time, her mother somewhat stood up for her but it was certainly something that Ursa wished her mother did more of.

Now that her summer holidays had officially begun, it was time for Ursa to take her own advice and sit back and relax. Ursa didn't need her family to have fun, since her cat Cleo was more than enough for her because at least then her cat didn't turn her back on her like her family did and was there for her when she needed her. Although Ursa knew that it was sad that her only constant support of comfort was her cat, it was what she had come to accept for being like she was in her family. But Ursa certainly wouldn't regret her beliefs because if her family truly cared for her, they would accept her no matter what she believed in and since they didn't do that, Ursa was better off without them.

Now if only she could have the guts to say that to herself.

* * *

**So that marks the end of Year One which means next chapter is the beginning of Year Two. I've got that year planned and next year Ursa will certainly be more of a key player in the events that unfold with the Chamber of Secrets so that's something to look forward to.**


	6. Bad Blood

**Here we are with Year Two, which I am certainly excited about getting into with what I have planned for Ursa and Hermione. It starts off before they get to school, since it takes place while everyone is off around Diagon Alley.**

* * *

**Bad Blood**

* * *

In the lead up to her fifth year at Hogwarts, Ursa Malfoy was beside herself with excitement. Not only had her aspirations of becoming a Prefect been realised, she would be meeting up with her cousin who would introduce her to her aunt for the very first time. Through many of their letters that had been exchanged over the summer holidays, it had been decided that Ursa would use Polyjuice Potion to transform into one of her cousins friends, Hestia Jones. Ursa would then be able to freely interact with her cousin without worrying about being spotted together in public.

Due to the fact that Ursa's cousin was Nymphadora Tonks, Ursa wasn't exactly allowed to interact with her at all but Ursa had done so on her own wishes. Since her cousins' aunt, Andromeda Black, had been disowned by the family by marrying a muggleborn, Ursa had never been able to meet her Aunt Andromeda. Ursa only knew her cousin because they had attended Hogwarts together for a few years before she graduated over a year ago, which had been the last time Ursa had seen her cousin. Eager to meet her aunt for the first time, Ursa had jumped at the opportunity and had all-too eagerly agreed to arrange something.

It was a rather simple plan, actually. Ursa had spent the past month brewing the most difficult potion that she had ever made. Now it was ready to be completed, and all Ursa would need was a strain of hair that her cousin had already sent. Ursa planned on accompanying her father and brother to Diagon Alley before going her own way, since she knew that her father would be exchanging certain artefacts at Borgin and Burkes.

So with the Polyjuice Potion fully prepared along with a few extra doses, Ursa left Malfoy Manor with her father and brother and considered herself lucky to be able to get away from them since her father rarely let her do things on her own. Once she was by herself, Ursa drank the potion that was the most disgusting thing she'd ever tasted before it transformed her into Hestia Jones. With the transformation complete, Ursa wandered freely through Diagon Alley before arriving at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour where she had agreed to meet with her cousin.

"Hestia!" she heard a voice call out.

Turning around, Ursa grinned when she saw her cousin waiting for her. They quickly embraced in a huge before her cousin smirked down at her.

"So, the potion worked?" she asked.

"Obviously. That was easily the most difficult thing that I'd ever done. I almost got caught several times," Ursa replied.

"But it was worth it?" her cousin stated.

Ursa smiled, "To see you Dora, and meet my aunt? Of course it was."

"Just so you know though, my mum doesn't know that she's actually meeting you since I thought it would be better off being a surprise," Tonks grinned.

Her cousin absolutely detested her first name, Nymphadora so Ursa had always referred to her as Dora. Most people referred to her with her last name, Tonks, but Ursa preferred using Dora.

"I can't believe that it's taken me fifteen years to meet my aunt, especially the one who's sane," Ursa commented.

The only other aunt that Ursa had was the notorious Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, who was currently an inhabitant at Azkaban Prison for her dedication to Lord Voldemort. Ursa had only been close to three when it all happened, so any memories that she had of her Aunt Bellatrix were faint and hardly pretty.

"I still can't believe that you're doing this," Tonks shook her head. "What if your father goes looking for you?"

"Don't worry about him. He said that he'd give me a few hours to get what I want and Diagon Alley is a big enough place anyways, so it would be difficult to find me," Ursa replied.

"Anyways, let's catch up! I'm sure you've been up to a lot at Hogwarts, especially now that Harry Potter is there," Tonks grinned.

"And I want to know all about how your Auror training is going," Ursa smiled.

"Well, I haven't officially begun it yet but I've been accepted to the training part!" Tonks exclaimed.

They spent a few moments catching up and filling each other in on what they'd been up to until Ursa spotted a woman heading towards the shop. Tonks had showed her a few pictures of what her mother looked like, and that woman was definitely her. Here it is. Ursa was finally going to meet her aunt. She just hoped that it'd go as well as she wanted it to.

"Ah, Nymphadora. There you are," she acknowledged Tonks before turning to Ursa. "Good to see you as well, Hestia."

"Um, actually, mother, that's not Hestia," Tonks said.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes, "Well, if that's not Hestia then who is it?"

"Your niece," Ursa replied.

"M-my niece?" Andromeda spluttered.

"Ursa Malfoy, to be precise. Pleased to meet you, Aunt Andromeda. I can't tell you how long I've wanted this to happen," Ursa introduced herself.

"But how..." Andromeda trailed off.

"Polyjuice Potion," Ursa supplied.

"I must say that I was not expecting this to happen," Andromeda admitted.

"Surprise!" Tonks exclaimed.

"Yes, it is," Andromeda commented. "Though I'm surprised that you would even want to meet me."

"Mother, I told you that Ursa and I were close at Hogwarts and that we'd kept in contact. I even brought up the possibility of you meeting her once," Tonks said.

"I know, it's just that I didn't exactly believe you considering the status of our familial connection," Andromeda stated.

"Aunt Andromeda, if you knew anything about me you'd know that I'm nothing like the rest of my family. I don't care that you were disowned for marrying a muggleborn," Ursa proclaimed. "I actually admire you for that. It must've taken great courage to do something like that and defy your family."

Andromeda smiled, "It certainly did, but I do not regret ever doing it even if it cost me my family. After all, I found a new one."

"It's nice to meet someone from my family who is normal. I can barely remember meeting my Aunt Bellatrix when I was younger and she always scared me, cackling to herself like a madwoman," Ursa said.

"Yes, Bella was always a bit of a… loose cannon even before she became a Dark Arts enthusiast," Andromeda commented, though Ursa could sense that talking about her eldest sister was a bit uncomfortable so she decided to change the subject.

"If it's not too much to ask, w-would you mind telling me about what my mother was like growing up?" Ursa inquired.

"Of course I wouldn't, Ursa. I was never really close with Bellatrix growing up, but Narcissa and I did always share somewhat of a close bond that was ruined when I decided to leave the family. I can't necessarily compare her to what she would be like now since I haven't spoken to my sister in over two decades. But Cissa was always the best of us. Despite knowing the worst of the world, she was always strangely naïve. She didn't believe in marrying for blood purity, Narcissa always said that she wanted to marry for love but our father and Bellatrix always told her that she was a fool for believing in such nonsense," Andromeda said.

"Yet she married a pureblood," Ursa commented.

"Oh, I know that she loves your father, Ursa. Lucius and I were in the same year at Hogwarts and I can't tell you how many times your mother said how she longed for him to notice her. Granted, her infatuation with him might have been a result of his blood status, but she still certainly had real feelings for your father," Andromeda stated.

"Do you know how my mother and father got together then? I only know based on what they told me and I can't say that I believe everything that they tell me," Ursa pried.

"It's actually a rather funny tale when you look at it in hindsight, Ursa. You see, because Lucius and I were around the same age and because we both came from esteemed pureblood families, our fathers had arranged a union for us," Andromeda revealed.

Tonks just about fell off her chair, "You mean to tell me that I could've been a _Malfoy_!"

"You never would have been a Malfoy, Nymphadora," Andromeda reassured her daughter who noticeably flinched at the use of her first name. "By that point I had already fallen in love with your father and I couldn't bare the thought of marrying another man who wasn't him. So, I did what only few purebloods have done before. I disowned myself from the family and started a new life for myself with Ted Tonks."

"This is the first I'm hearing of this potential union," Ursa admitted. "My parents told me that they had just casually gotten together after mother finished school."

"I'm not sure about that part, since it was only a few years after I had left that I'd heard about Narcissa's marriage to Lucius Malfoy. But there is definitely a history to their union that you would've deserved to know. It's only not public knowledge because our fathers hadn't announced the engagement before I decided to run away," Andromeda explained.

"Do you regret it? Leaving, I mean?" Ursa wondered.

Andromeda sighed, "Sometimes I wonder what would've been had I not left. One thing for sure was that I know I never would have been happy with Lucius, so I do not regret leaving to find my own happiness. It pains me to think about the family that I left behind, but then I remind myself that I wouldn't have had to leave them behind if they had supported my choices."

"Are you okay, Dora?" Ursa asked her cousin, noticing how pale she had become.

"I'm just shuddering at the thought of me possibly being a _Malfoy_!" Tonks squawked. "It's just… wrong. I'd take being Nymphadora Tonks over Nymphadora Malfoy any day. And how come I never knew about this?"

"You never asked, Nymphadora," Andromeda replied.

"Well, yeah, but that's just because I always knew how sensitive it was bringing up the family," Tonks argued. "Speaking of family, how's yours? I know your brother would've had to have started at Hogwarts last year."

"Draco's… fine. The Sorting Hat had just barely touched his head before he got sorted into Slytherin. It's a good thing he was since I doubt Draco would've been able to handle being in any other house more than my father would've been furious. I don't know what would've been worse for Draco, being sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff," Ursa said.

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Tonks cried indignantly.

"Nothing on my end. It's just that Draco thinks that Hufflepuffs are weak and the inferior house because of what characteristics they value," Ursa replied.

"I'd put tolerance, modesty and loyalty over anything Slytherin values. Honestly, us Hufflepuffs deserve more recognition," Tonks huffed.

"And you'll bring them that once you finish your Auror training," Andromeda smiled.

"I'm going to ace the Concealment and Disguise part of the training with no problems. Though, I might struggle with the stealth part of it," Tonks admitted.

Ursa giggled, "Still as clumsy as ever, Dora?"

"Of course. I fell over just about five times on my way over here," Tonks replied.

"That's nothing to be proud of, Nymphadora. You'll end up severely hurting yourself one day. I'd even say that you have a higher chance of hurting yourself with your clumsiness over anything that you'd get up to as an Auror," Andromeda said.

"Anyways, I can't wait to officially become an Auror but I'm even more excited to start my training. I'll be getting mentored by the famous Auror, Alastor Moody!" Tonks exclaimed with excitement.

"Mad-Eye Moody?" Ursa clarified.

Tonks nodded eagerly, "The very same. The stuff that he's done is legendary! It's such an honour to be training under him. I'm going to learn so much!"

"Right you will, Nymphadora. I'm sure that your cousin here still has plenty more to learn at Hogwarts," Andromeda stated.

Tonks scoffed, "Please. Ursa probably knows more than anyone should know at her age. It's no surprise that she's got that Prefect badge."

"You're a Prefect? Congratulations," Andromeda smiled.

"Thank you, Aunt Andromeda. I worked especially hard to get it, and it was nice to see my father proud of me for a change, even if it was just for a short moment," Ursa replied.

"You don't have to call me Andromeda if it's too much for you. My husband calls me Dromeda most of the time," Andromeda commented.

"I'll settle for… Aunt Andie. Or Auntie Andie," Ursa chuckled, though she couldn't help but notice how Andromeda's eyes widened at her choice of name, though she didn't say anything about it.

"So, I hear that Hogwarts poor choice in Defence Against the Dark Arts professors has continued after what happened with that Quirrell guy. I don't know what anybody would've been thinking giving him that position. He had no place being a DADA teacher," Tonks commented.

"Yeah, well it looks like this years professor could be even worse. Almost all of our required books are about Gilderoy Lockhart. Whoever is our professor is probably some fan of his for whatever reason," Ursa cringed.

"What's wrong with Lockhart? Even if he turns out being a piss ass teacher, you'll at least have something pretty to look at," Tonks reasoned.

"I would actually rather learn something in Defence. I get that the position is cursed, but that doesn't mean that Dumbledore has to hire the most poor professors for the job. And I just don't fancy Lockhart's type of… writing. Although his adventures sound incredible and somewhat fabricated in my opinion, it's not entirely… factual. That's my kind of reading," Ursa said.

"From what I have heard about the man, Gilderoy Lockhart is a self-obsessed buffoon. The chances are that he'll spend most of your lessons talking about himself," Andromeda commented.

"Great, so I'll be wasting yet _another _year in Defence," Ursa groaned.

It truly frustrated Ursa to no end how she was yet to learn anything useful in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Quirrell had really been a joke of a professor, almost as bad as Professor Binns. At least Ursa actually learned something from Binns, no matter how boring his class was. One thing that Ursa always did in the lead up to every school year was that she'd read her books through and through to have them memorised in time for her lessons. Every book was always fascinating and made her excited about class, only Ursa had almost _dreaded _reading Lockhart's books, and that was saying considering Ursa was almost a textbook Ravenclaw when it came to reading.

Spending time with her aunt and cousin had gone exactly how Ursa had hoped it would. She'd ended their get together agreeing to write frequently to Dora, and even Andromeda had requested to hear from her when she could write. The fact that she now had another family member who seemed to want her around and actually cared about her meant a lot to Ursa, and she hoped that this would be the first of many meetings between her aunt and cousin. Maybe at some point she could meet her Uncle Ted too.

Wanting to be safe and not sorry when it came to her use of the Polyjuice Potion, Ursa had brought more than enough doses of her prepared batch with her to Diagon Alley. With those in her back pocket, Ursa decided that she'd keep wandering around and enjoying her time there before she had to meet up with her brother and father. It wasn't long before a familiar head of bushy hair caught Ursa's attention, and she grinned upon recognised who it was before deciding to approach them.

"Hello, Minnie," Ursa greeted Hermione.

Hermione whirled around to face her, her eyes widening, "Ursa…"

"In Polyjuice Potion," Ursa grinned.

"What? But it takes an incredibly advanced potioneer to create that potion. It's said to be one of the most difficult potions to make," Hermione said.

"And I just so happen to be an incredibly advanced student," Ursa smirked.

"Who are you supposed to be anyways?" Hermione asked.

"Hestia Jones, a friend of my cousins. I had arranged to meet with my cousin so that I could meet my aunt for the first time. Now that I have done that, I had plenty of Polyjuice Potion left over so I decided to make the most of this opportunity," Ursa replied.

"While that's brilliant and all, have you seen Harry Potter around at all?" Hermione inquired.

"No, why?" Ursa wondered.

Hermione sighed, "Because he was supposed to come to Diagon Alley with the Weasley family, but they reckon he wound up somewhere else because he mispronounced the name while using the Floo powder."

"Look, Hermione, Harry Potter is one of the most recognisable people in the entire Wizarding World. If he's ended up somewhere else someone will surely be able to help him find his way here," Ursa reassured her.

"But what if he ends up someplace bad? I've heard that there are some pretty dodgy places around Diagon Alley," Hermione said worriedly.

"Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort when he was just a baby. I'm sure he can handle a few dodgy wizards. If you can't find him in a few hours, then you can start worrying," Ursa reasoned.

"I suppose you're right," Hermione conceded before her face brightened up. "Would you like to meet my parents? They came here with me."

"Who would you be introducing me as?" Ursa asked.

"Ursa Malfoy, a friend of mine who is disguised as someone else using magic. I told them about you, and they know enough to know that you come from a family that wouldn't approve of you associating with me in public," Hermione replied.

"I suppose I could remain here for an extra while," Ursa agreed.

"Great, I'll bring you inside!" Hermione exclaimed before dragging Ursa into Flourish and Blotts, where Ursa quickly realised that Gilderoy Lockhart was holding a signing for his books.

Meeting Hermione's parents had been somewhat of an awkward affair, since her parents seemed to be disturbed by the fact that magic could be used to impersonate someone else which Ursa could understand. They had plenty of questions about the Wizarding World just like she had plenty of questions about the muggle world. However, their conversation was interrupted when Arthur Weasley became a part of it.

"You must be Hermione's parents!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, we are," Hermione's mother, Jean, smiled proudly.

"And who might this young lady be?" he asked Ursa.

Ursa gulped, "I'm Hestia Jones, I work at the Ministry. I'm here as part of… security for… Gilderoy Lockhart. You know how fans can be, Mr. Weasley."

"I wouldn't," Arthur mumbled.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ursa spotted Harry Potter entering the bookshop with Hermione. He appeared to be rather dusty, but fine, nonetheless. It didn't take long for Lockhart to notice Harry before pulling him to the front for a picture that would go on the Daily Prophet before he announced himself as the new Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Now all those books on the booklist being about him made sense.

At the top of the staircase, Ursa spotted Draco glaring down at Harry and she inwardly groaned upon seeing him storm down the stairs as Harry made his way towards that area. She just hoped that her brother wouldn't go off causing a scene.

Things seemed to be going fine enough until Ursa saw her father entering the shop as well. She saw him pull out a book from the Weasley girls caldron before putting it back in, though Ursa could've sworn that she'd seen something else in there that wasn't there before. Arthur Weasley seemed to notice her father with his children since he was off to them within seconds. Ursa carefully followed, just barely hearing what her father was saying.

"What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" her father scowled.

Mr Weasley gave a dark flush before replying with, "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

And if she was being honest, Ursa agreed more with what Arthur Weasley saw as a disgrace to the name of wizard. Not that she'd ever tell that to her father, of course. Ursa was shocked when Arthur Weasley lunged at her father and a fight broke out in the book shop. All she could do was stand there until the fight broke up and her father insulted the Weasley family one last time.

"Come now, Draco. Let's go find your sister so we can go home," Lucius growled.

Once her brother and father had left the bookshop, Ursa cast Hermione an apologetic look for knowing that her father would've undoubtedly insulted her muggle lineage. Hermione then let out a small gasp before pointing at Ursa's hair, and Ursa widened when she saw that her hair was now returning to it's original blonde colour. She managed to slip out through the front door and headed through Diagon Alley while keeping a safe enough distance between herself and her father until she returned to her natural form.

"Now where is that bloody sister of yours," Lucius snapped.

"I'm right here, father," Ursa called out.

"Ah, good. We're leaving now, Ursa," Lucius declared.

"Father, what happened to your eye?" Ursa asked despite already knowing the answer.

"That bloody Weasley scoundrel lost his temper in Flourish and Blotts. I'll tell you one thing, Ursa. You can act all friendly with that muggleborn girl as much as you want but don't you _ever _go off fraternising with those Weasley mongrels. Do I make myself clear?" Lucius spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes glittering with the same malice that they had in the shop.

"Yes, Father," Ursa conceded, knowing that now was certainly not the time to test her fathers temper. She knew when to push his buttons and now as not the time.

The three Malfoys then headed home, and the whole time her father was muttering words against the Weasley family just like how Draco had been complaining about Harry Potter all summer. Ursa found the bad blood between the two families almost ridiculous since she and Draco were distantly related to them through their grandmother, Cedrella Black due to her connection to their mother. They would have to at least be third cousins, though Ursa wasn't sure if Draco was aware of that. She only knew about that because she had extensively studied their family tapestry to discover their connections with other pureblood families.

With Diagon Alley taken care of, Ursa was now beside herself with anticipation as she would be beginning her fifth year at Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw Prefect. Although there was some mixed feelings about her return to Hogwarts, Ursa was excited for another year that would undoubtedly be filled with fun and magic.

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**The original plan for this chapter was for it to just focus on Hermione and Ursa until I decided that I wanted Ursa to meat Andromeda at some point, so I decided to squeeze it in here. As for the Andromeda/Lucius plot, that's just something that I'd come up with on my own since it's in my headcannon that Andromeda and Lucius were betrothed to be married before she ran off to be with Ted. When I first found out that Ron's grandmother was a Black, I knew that it had to make the Weasley kids somehow related to Draco so I looked it up and found that they're actually third cousins, which I find amusing considering how much the Weasleys and the Malfoys hate each other despite sharing a familial connection. This won't be the last time Andromeda Tonks comes into this story and the Weasley/Malfoy family connection won't be the only one that Ursa realises either ;).**


	7. New Year

**I've posted a new Dramione story titled Messages from No One if you wanna go check that out. To those of you reading this story, I really would appreciate it if each and every one of you left some feedback since so far there hasn't been that much even though I know there are people favouriting and following so it shouldn't be too much to ask for you guys to leave a simple review every chapter. It'll only make chapters come faster…**

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**New Year**

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Settling back into Hogwarts as a fifth year was different for Ursa. This time around, she had her Prefect duties to get acquainted with which seemed manageable enough. Ursa had always been a good student, and her friend Tessa would often say that she was too much of a student, always reading ahead of the class and knowing more than she should. One bonus that came with being a Prefect was that Ursa was able to make use of the Prefect Bathroom which was easily an upgrade from some of the other bathrooms in the school.

One thing that Ursa had been looking forward to after getting back at school was seeing Hermione again. Seeing her at Diagon Alley had been fun enough, but it would be nice to just sit and talk with her without pretending to be somebody else. So a few nights after she'd gotten back into the swing of school, Ursa headed to the library where she already found Hermione waiting for her.

"Hello, Minnie," Ursa smiled.

"Hi, Ursa," Hermione returned the greeting.

"How was your summer?" Ursa asked as she sat down next to her.

"It was great! I did a lot of reading, naturally. I spent most of my summer really getting into Gilderoy Lockhart's books. I just can't believe that he's our Defence Professor!" Hermione squealed excitedly.

"Yeah, it's great," Ursa muttered, trying her best to keep her true feelings about Lockhart buried.

"I've read his books countless times and he just sounds so accomplished. He's really done it all and it's just… amazing to read about his adventures," Hermione raved.

"He's certainly done a lot," Ursa remarked.

"What about you? How was your summer?" Hermione wondered.

Ursa shrugged, "Not that exciting, since I spent it mostly confined to the walls of Malfoy Manor. I can't tell you how good it is to be back at Hogwarts. I know that the Manor is my home, but it's just so dark and depressing living there. I don't know how my parents have managed to do it for two decades."

"Still, it must be fun living in a giant mansion," Hermione said.

"It's a _manor_, not a mansion," Ursa corrected her. "And I suppose it has its perks. The space is good, so there are plenty of room for me to hide. And I certainly had to hide a lot from Draco's complaining all summer."

"What would he even have to complain about? Was his bed not made to his liking?" Hermione asked.

"No, that's not it," Ursa chuckled. "Draco spent all of his summer complaining about none other than Harry Potter."

"Really?" Ursa wondered.

Ursa nodded, "He did. It was rather tedious having to put up with his constant complaining. All I heard was, Potter, Potter, bloody Potter and ugh, Saint Potter."

"That's not how Harry's last name is pronounced," Hermione giggled as Ursa mocked Draco.

"Well, that's how Draco says it. He puts a great deal of emphasis on the _er _sound so it comes out more like an _ah _sound. You see, Pottah?" Ursa clarified.

"Well, it sounds to me like your brother is jealous of Harry," Hermione stated.

"He probably is, but Draco is too prideful to admit to something like jealousy," Ursa agreed.

"Anyways, enough about him," Hermione waved her hand dismissively. "What's been your favourite reading of Lockhart's? I've just got so many favourites that I can't choose one. He's just _so _amazing."

Watching Hermione gush over Gilderoy Lockhart was almost as tedious as having to put up with Draco's constant complaining about Harry Potter. After doing some further investigation over the summer break, Ursa was more convinced than ever that the man was a fraud. There were just so many errors in his books that made it hard for her to believe them. But it was clear that Hermione couldn't see past his lies, since there was no way that Hermione would be a fan of Lockhart if she knew things better.

"I can't really give you my opinion since I don't really have one on Gilderoy Lockhart," Ursa replied.

"Really? What's not to talk about him? He's done so much and he's gorgeous too," Hermione gushed.

"Aw, it looks like you're in love, Minnie," Ursa teased her. "It's just that, I don't really care for Lockhart's style of writing. It's borderline fictitious when I prefer a more informed reading. I don't care for great epics like Lockhart recounts in his books. That's just not my style of reading."

"Oh, well I guess that's understandable," Hermione conceded.

As much as Ursa would've loved to have gone into a full-on rant about her real thoughts on Lockhart, she knew how important books were to Hermione and she knew that Hermione would be upset to find out that she had been lied to by books. Besides, Hermione was a smart girl and Ursa trusted that she wouldn't be blinded by his charm and looks for too long.

"Have you had him teach you yet?" Ursa wondered.

"No, but I have my first lesson with him tomorrow and I can't wait! I'm going to revise over my notes that I took from his book tonight so that I can be prepared," Hermione said.

"That's probably smart, since he might just end up making the entire lesson about himself," Ursa commented.

"Well, that is likely since our required readings are all of his books," Hermione agreed, but not for the reasons that Ursa was thinking. If anything, Lockhart would make the lesson about himself because he came across as a plain old narcissist.

They continued trading stories and lessons for the next few hours in the library, with Ursa continuing to enjoy Hermione's company. When Ursa had first sought Hermione out, she had done so in order to get to Draco but now Ursa was genuinely interested in the younger girl and had no real selfish interests in getting to know her. But Ursa didn't feel like it was necessary to tell Hermione about why she had come to her, since she could only see that leading to unnecessary hurt. And Ursa certainly cared enough about Hermione now that she didn't want to see her hurt.

~*•°•*~

One thing that Ursa quickly realised about being a fifth year was that the work was more about preparing them for the inevitable O. . The work was definitely a bit more challenging than it had previously been, but Ursa had never backed down from a challenge in learning and she rather liked being able to test her knowledge. With Ursa being the Ravenclaw that she is, she had already devised a study schedule that would keep her occupied for the rest of the year.

After getting adjusted to life back at Hogwarts, Ursa quickly delved into her study program so that she wouldn't risk falling behind. You never knew what could end up happening at Hogwarts, so Ursa was preparing herself for any possible interruptions that would interfere with her studies. There was nothing to distract Ursa from her work, since although she had briefly considered joining the Frog Choir, Ursa decided against it since she knew that her parents would disapprove of it. On the other hand, Ursa knew that Draco would be busy this year since she knew that Lucius would be bribing the Slytherin Quidditch Captain to let Draco join their team. It was hard to say no to any Malfoy, so Ursa fully expected Draco to be in the team.

"You'll never guess what happened," Tessa proclaimed as she entered their shared dorm. Ursa was sitting on her bad with her Arithmancy notebook which Tessa promptly took out of her hands.

"Wow, I'll never forget the time that I had a book in my hands," Ursa remarked.

"Yeah, yeah. You can have it back in a moment," Tessa rolled her eyes. "So, guess what just happened?"

"You took a book from my hands," Ursa deadpanned.

"Since you won't humour me, I'll just tell you. I just saw the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams fighting," Tessa stated.

"What?" Ursa's eyes widened.

"Yep, there was a full-on fight. The youngest Weasley boy tried to make your brother eat slugs but because he seems to have a defective wand, the spell backfired and it caused him to eat slugs instead," Tessa laughed.

"I get that they're Gryffindors and Slytherins so it's in their nature to fight, but I don't get what they could possibly have to fight about unless provoked," Ursa mumbled.

"Oh, well… I heard what it was about," Tessa said quietly.

"Are you going to tell me or are you going to make this conversation even more pointless?" Ursa quipped.

Tessa sighed, "It was your brother. He called Hermione Granger a… the dirty word."

"Y-you mean… the _m-word_?" Ursa clarified.

"Yeah, that word," Tessa grimaced. "The Gryffindors went _ballistic _on that. They went to attack your brother, so the Slytherins got in as well. Let me tell you, those Gryffindor girls know how to throw a punch. Alicia Spinnet got Graham Montague right in the lower regions. They would've gotten to your brother too if Marcus Flint hadn't gotten in the way. Oliver Wood landed a good one on him as well."

"Well, it would've served him right!" Ursa snapped angrily as she got up from her bed.

"Where are you going?" Tessa called out.

"To talk some sense into my idiotic brother!" Ursa growled.

Never before had Ursa been so… angry and disappointed in Draco. She knew that her brother took after their father in ways that she didn't, but Ursa had never thought that Draco would stoop so low to aim the muggleborn slur towards anyone. Hermione certainly didn't deserved to be called that disgusting word. She was better than that. And no muggleborn deserved to be degraded like that either.

Rage was definitely radiating from Ursa, and it was going to be difficult for her to have a calm conversation with her brother as she berated him for his disgusting behaviour. Finding Draco was easy enough, now Ursa was just going to get rid of his cronies so that she could give him a piece of her mind.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Ursa shouted. She wasn't normally one to raise her voice, but this was one of the rare times that Ursa was unable to control her rage.

"What do you want, Ursa?" Draco snapped.

"I need to have a word with you," Ursa stated before glaring at Crabbe and Goyle. "In _private_."

"No," Goyle snarled.

"This is a family matter that I need to discuss with my brother without you two numbskulls around," Ursa seethed.

"What are numbskulls?" Crabbe blinked.

Ursa groaned, "It's another word for stupid."

"Draco, she just called us stupid! You should do something!" Goyle exclaimed.

"What gives you the right to talk to my friends that way?" Draco demanded.

Ursa scoffed, "They're not your friends, they're your sidekicks. And as a Ravenclaw Prefect, I am demanding that they leave us alone at once so that we may discuss an important matter in private that you do not need to be a witness of."

"Just give me a moment with my dear sister," Draco muttered.

That seemed to be enough for Crabbe and Goyle as they promptly left the two siblings alone. Once it was just them, Ursa then yanked Draco by the ear and dragged him away, ignoring his protests as she did so.

"Ow, ow, my ear!" Draco whined. "This is assault! Let go of me, Ursa! I demand to know what this is about and what gives you the right to just yank me by the ear!"

"You wanna know what this is about?" Ursa seethed as she released Draco from her hold and shoved him against the wall.

"Way to be vicious," Draco scowled. "Hanging around with those halfbloods has really made you into a shameless brat."

"_I'm _shameless?" Ursa squawked. "You're the one who's shamelessly going around calling people the muggleborn slur! How dare you say that word to Hermione Granger! How dare you use such foul loathsome language!"

"What, you're here to give me a lecture?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Of course I am! Did you really think that I was just going to let you go around acting like a pig once I heard what you had said?" Ursa asked.

"Well, you can lay off me, Ursa because I already got a lecture from Flint so I don't need one from you," Draco snapped.

"You certainly need a lecture from me since you wouldn't get this from mother and father!" Ursa yelled.

"Because they wouldn't see it necessary," Draco interjected.

"Yeah, because mother and father are bigoted idiots!" Ursa argued. "They might think that it's no big deal to say that word and father might have even encouraged you to say it but that absolutely does not give you the right to say it! Nobody should use such foul language like that. Nobody deserves to have such language directed towards them!"

"What are you, the advocate for mudbloods?" Draco remarked, causing Ursa's eyes to burn with rage before she slapped Draco on the arse. "Ow, that hurt!"

"Good!" Ursa seethed.

"You might be my big sister, but that gives you no right to tell me what to do. Only mother and father can tell me what to do," Draco insisted.

Ursa scoffed, "Well, of course you think that way since you only seem to behave how they want you to even if it makes you be an intolerable brat!"

"You're really going to defend the likes of them over me, your _brother_?" Draco scowled.

"You don't need to defend yourself, Draco," Ursa snarled as she grabbed hold of his shoulder and pulled him towards her. "Now, listen to me closely. If I ever hear you using such language like that ever again, I'll give you a lot worse than a smack on the arse. Do I make myself understood?"

"Are you trying to threaten me?" Draco asked.

"Do. I. Make. Myself. Understood?" Ursa hissed angrily.

Draco sighed, "Yes."

"Miss Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?"

With a grimace, Ursa turned to see Professor Snape walking towards them. She instantly saw a smug look appear on Draco's face and Ursa internally groaned, already knowing that her brother was going to turn the situation on her to get her in trouble.

"My sister was being rude to me, sir. She yanked me by the ear and smacked me on the arse!" Draco replied.

Snape glared at Ursa, "Miss Malfoy, you have been lucky enough to have the honour of being a Prefect for your house bestowed upon you. I shouldn't have to remind you that it does not give you the liberty to abuse your powers on younger students."

"But Professor, I was only telling him off for using the muggleborn slur on Hermione Granger!" Ursa protested.

"And I am sure that Miss Granger provoked Mr Malfoy into using that word against her. You are not a teacher, Miss Malfoy, so you have no right to inflict discipline on younger students. You should know better than to behave in such a disgraceful way that makes you unworthy of holding the Prefect position. I myself argued against you earning such a title, but your Head of House and the Headmaster deemed you worthy enough. Clearly the standards have fallen around here if someone like you can wear that badge when you clearly don't deserve it," Snape said, his eyes full of disdain as he looked at Ursa.

"That's a lie!" Ursa snarled. "Surely you must be able to acknowledge that I am the brightest of my year and one of the top students in the entire school. I have always behaved and been a role model student. I earned my Prefect badge whether you agree or not, _Professor_."

"Talking back to teachers and abusing your privileges is hardly something that a role model student does," Snape tutted. "Ten points from Ravenclaw, and I order you to leave at once, Miss Malfoy."

With a scowl, Ursa turned on her heels and headed off to leave while scolding herself for being so foolish. If she was going to scold Draco, then she should've done so in a more private area where something like this couldn't have happened.

"And, Miss Malfoy, for the abuse of your position, you will be serving detention tomorrow night," Snape proclaimed.

Ursa instantly stopped in her tracks as she turned around to protest, "But, Professor, that's not fair! I've never received detention before!"

"There's a first time for everything, Miss Malfoy," Snape scowled.

"Git," Ursa muttered under her breath as she turned to leave, not wanting to get herself into any more trouble.

Of course Draco would be the one to get her into trouble at Hogwarts, just like how he always did at home. In all her four years at Hogwarts, Ursa had never received detention before. She had always been a role model student, and now thanks to her jerk of a brother and Potions Professor, her perfect record was ruined. Ursa had no doubt that her brother and Snape would be writing to her parents so she was undoubtedly going to get in trouble from them as well.

How is it that when Ursa tried to do the right thing, she ended up being the one to get in trouble? It just wasn't fair, and Ursa knew that she didn't deserve it. If anyone should be serving detention tomorrow night, it should be Draco, yet it was going to be her. All because of him.

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**That's classic Snape being a git and abusing his own position as Professor and Head of House but it served Draco right having someone tell him off for his deplorable behaviour. But it's going to take more than one scolding from his older sister to change his tune. I've also got plenty more planned for the rest of the year, some of which differs from my original plans but I still can't wait to write it for you guys.**


	8. First Time for Everything

**I'd actually already gotten this chapter written before I'd even wrote the last two because I already had an idea of how it would go and I just couldn't wait to write Ursa's first detention so here it is.**

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**First Time for Everything**

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Night had fallen the next day, so Ursa begrudgingly got herself ready and left Ravenclaw Tower to attend her detention that would be with Hagrid and thankfully not with Filch. Along the way, Ursa muttered her frustration about the situation while aiming some particularly harsh words towards her Potions Professor. Ursa had never gotten detention before, she had always been a good student. And now her first detention was going to be the result of her ignorant brother and her biased Potions Professor. If Ursa didn't want to make the situation any worse, she would've fought against it since she certainly didn't deserve to have detention for telling her brother not to use a slur. Granted, Ursa probably should've done so in a more private place but still, she didn't deserve detention for doing the right thing.

When Ursa arrived at Hagrid's hut, she stood there awkwardly as Hagrid made a brief gesture of acknowledgement. This was certainly going to be an uncomfortable detention since Hagrid clearly didn't like the Malfoys, not that Ursa could blame him. Ursa suddenly found herself wishing that she'd gotten stuck with Filch instead. At least Filch hates everyone so she would have no reason to feel guilty.

"You'll be headin' off soon once yer company arrives," Hagrid stated.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Company? Who?"

Hagrid doesn't need to respond for Ursa to know the answer as she quickly spotted Filch heading towards them with two people behind him. As they get closer, Ursa recognised them as Quidditch Captains, Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood. Flint rudely shoved Wood to the side when Filch and Hagrid weren't looking. Their rivalry was legendary at Hogwarts and Ursa could see this detention taking a drastic turn with them together.

"I found these two leeches on their way here. Looked like they were about to throttle each other," Filch said.

"Thank yeh, Mr Filch. I can take it from here," Hagrid stated.

It took seconds for Filch to disappear, leaving the three teenagers to face their punishment. Ursa just hoped that Flint and Wood wouldn't let their rivalry get in the way.

"You'll be doin' some chores fer me tonight, but cause I've got quite ter list, I'll be splitting yeh up. Wood, you'll come with me and Malfoy, you'll go with Flint," Hagrid ordered.

Splitting them up was probably the best way to handle this situation, but Ursa was hardly happy about being stuck with Marcus Flint. Despite being a drill sergeant of a captain, Flint was notorious for being lazy in anywhere but Quidditch.

Nevertheless, they grabbed their required equipment from Hagrid and headed off into the Forbidden Forest. Ursa would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous, especially after what happened last year when Draco served detention in there. She just hoped that she wouldn't come across Voldemort feasting on unicorns.

"This is going to be a very long and dreadful night," Ursa snapped as they made their way through the forest. She was already angry about the situation, so she couldn't help but vent her frustration since Flint was only going to make it worse.

"It'll go a lot faster if you shut up," Flint growled.

"To what do I even owe the presence of your lacklustre company?" Ursa wondered.

"It's your sodding brothers fault," Flint snarled.

"Draco? What did he do?" Ursa wondered.

"He just had to go and call Potters muggleborn friend the slur. That unleashed the Gryffindors fury and we weren't going to let those losers get one over us so of course we fought. That old bat McGonagall gave Wood and I detention for the fight since we're captains and we should be setting better examples for our teams," Flint growled, mocking McGonagall at the end.

"Well, she's not wrong there. You are captains and letting your teams fight isn't setting the best of examples," Ursa pointed out.

"You're one to talk, Miss Prefect," Flint scowled.

"Hey, I'll have you know that this is the first detention that I've ever gotten and I only got it because Snape is a prejudiced git despite the fact that I was doing the right thing," Ursa defended herself.

Flint rolled his eyes, "Only you would get detention for something like that, Malfoy. Besides, you haven't lived until you've served detention. But our teams didn't even get it! They got off scot free which is completely ridiculous since it's not like Wood and I started the fight for once. Let me tell you, Malfoy. Woods girls are vicious."

"So I've heard," Ursa muttered. "Why did you even care that Draco said the slur? He told me that you chewed him out for it."

Flint shrugged, "I couldn't risk losing my Seeker after I only just let the brat in. He's doing himself no favours by antagonising the Gryffindors. That'll only wanna make them bash his head in even more."

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Ah, I see. You don't actually care about what the word means. You just care about having your Seeker in one piece when you only let him in for Nimbus 2001s."

"It's the best broomstick model in the world and Slytherin deserves the best," Flint argued.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "How would you feel if you were kicked from your team for a pompous second year and fancy brooms?"

"First of all, I'm the captain so they couldn't kick me off even if they wanted to. And secondly, I wouldn't care because I would put my house above my own needs if it meant Slytherin winning," Flint replied.

"Well, I would be hurt if that were me," Ursa argued.

"Whatever, Malfoy," Flint muttered.

"That's pretty pathetic, to rely on brooms and cheating rather than skill to win," Ursa commented.

Flint glared at her, "Hey, Wood got Potter and a Nimbus 2000. Wood always gets everything. It was only fair that I one-upped him for once."

"Please," Ursa scoffed. "You wouldn't know the first thing about fairness if it hit you in that idiotic head of yours with a bludger. Weren't you the one who knocked Wood out with one of those in his first game?"

"Yeah, good times. Then the little shit punched me back and I got detention for that. Bloody Wood, always getting everything. He gets stuck with that giant oaf who will probably do everything for him while I get stuck with you," Flint ranted.

Listening to Flint rant about his burning hatred for Oliver Wood was rather annoying for Ursa to put up with. It was like putting up with Draco and his never-ending rants about the Potter boy. The night was already going to be a tedious one and Ursa certainly didn't want to put up with Flints ranting.

"If I didn't know any better, Flint, I'd say that you were obsessed with Wood," Ursa commented.

"Take that back," Flint snarled.

"I wouldn't say it if you didn't give me a reason to think it," Ursa remarked.

"Yeah, cause you're delusional. As if I would ever be obsessed with Wood. He wishes that I would pay him that time of day. I only care about destroying Wood in Quidditch so that I have another victory to rub in his pathetic face," Flint growled.

"Yeah, you're certainly not obsessed," Ursa said sarcastically.

"You don't know the first thing about Wood and I so keep your mouth shut about it, Malfoy. He hates me and I hate him. Now I'm starting to hate you," Flint sneered.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Like I care about what you think of me, Marcus Flint. I've never cared what anyone thinks about me, and no idiot Slytherin is going to change that. I stand up for what I believe in and I do what my heart tells me is right."

"Wow, you really are as weak as your brother says you are," Flint drawled. "He's always going off about how sensitive you are and how you act like the world should just kiss your feet because you're not like all the other purebloods. Newsflash, Malfoy, just because you have a compulsive need for attention doesn't make you any better than the rest of us."

"You don't know me, Flint, so shut the hell up," Ursa snarled. Her eyebrows were starting to twitch in anger. Flint was getting on her nerves with each word that came out of his mouth. She hated when people talked about her as if they knew her. And Marcus Flint certainly knew nothing about her so he had no right to act as if he did.

"I know that you're a stuck-up Ravenclaw who thinks that you're _so_ much better than everyone else just because you're not like all of us. You go around on some moral high and rub your intelligence in everyone's faces to make yourself look good, just like how purebloods use their blood purity," Flint said.

"And where did you get that from?" Ursa wondered. "Because if there's anything that I know about you, Flint, is that you're certainly not smart enough to come up with an assessment like that on your own. Let's face it, you're a grade A idiot."

Flint rolled his eyes, "People talk, Malfoy, and they talk about you a lot. You're not as liked as you might think you are and it serves you right. What right do you have to go around acting as if you're better than everyone else just because you're different?"

"I don't act like that at all! And I'd rather be a stuck-up know-it-all rather than a pretentious pureblood supremacist!" Ursa exclaimed.

"You're one to talk about people going around acting as if they know you when you're doing that right now. You know nothing about me, Malfoy," Flint growled.

"I know that you're an idiotic moron who's only talent is riding around on a broomstick that anyone can do! It doesn't take real skill to play Quidditch. Anyone can ride a broom," Ursa argued.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you're a stuck-up snob who thinks that you're so much better than everyone just because you know big words," Flint snarled.

"Come up with a new argument, Flint. Though I guess that would be difficult for you considering your lack of ability to use your brain," Ursa remarked.

"People only even bother to pay attention to because you are different, Malfoy, and you relish in that. But if you weren't a Ravenclaw you'd be just like every other pureblood out there with no special talent other than your blood. You'd be nothing. Without it you are just like us," Flint proclaimed.

"I am my own person," Ursa declared, her frustration at Flint beginning to reach its boiling point. "I am a proud Ravenclaw. I have real friends there, I'm where I belong. I would never trade my house for Slytherin or anything. You know nothing, you idiot. So why don't you just shut the hell up?"

Flint ignored her as he continued, "You're like every shallow Ravenclaw, only caring about grades and being smarter than everyone else. In Slytherin you find real friends who look out for their own. You can't get that in any other house, especially in Ravenclaw where it's all about being the smartest. You only even have friends because of who your family is and the influence that your name has. You're nothing without your name. It's not like they actually care who you are."

Never before had Ursa glared so fiercely at anyone. If looks could kill, Flint would've been AK'd by now. How dare he go around acting as if he knew anything about her? What gave him the right to say that? She found herself wishing that she had a bludger to knock Flints head with. Maybe then she wouldn't have to put up with him like this.

"You don't know anything about me, Flint. You have no right to talk about me as if you know me," Ursa hissed, her fists clenched.

"Whatever," Flint muttered.

"Why don't we just agree to stop talking from here and get this done and over with? Then we can go back and forget this night ever happened," Ursa suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Flint agreed as he pulled out the map that they'd been given, causing Ursa to bite her lip. Considering his lack of intelligence, Ursa doubted that Flint had the ability to follow a map properly.

"Erm, Flint, maybe I should read the map?" Ursa offered.

"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy," Flint growled.

Knowing that there was no point in getting into another argument with Flint, Ursa just kept quiet and allowed him to lead the way. The only time they spoke was if the other needed to be told what to do. Hagrid and Wood would've been better company than Flint's sorry arse. She just had to get stuck with the thick-headed Slytherin, didn't she?

They continued walking through the Forbidden Forest, with Ursa keeping her eyes and ears open for anything that could come out. As long as she didn't find Voldemort feasting on unicorns, Ursa knew she would be fine. Flint, on the other hand, would be left useless. Based on what she knew about him, it was a wonder that the boy had even managed to pass his O.W.L.s. He was as dumb as a troll, which was fitting since he looked just like one. Though there was something else about Flint that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It wasn't until she realised what it was that Ursa glanced at him differently, not that she'd bring it up to him now.

The task that they had been assigned by Hagrid was to try and locate any Blood-Sucking Bugbear that Hagrid suspected had killed his chickens. He'd given them the location of where the to find them, only they'd come across no bugbears so far. According to the map, they were located near the edge of the Black Lake and Ursa knew that they were nowhere near the lake and she was certainly starting to doubt Flints navigational abilities.

"Flint, are you sure that you're leading us in the right direction?" Ursa asked.

"Yes I am, Malfoy. I'm leading us to where the map is telling us to go," Flint replied.

"Why don't I have a look?" Ursa suggested.

"Fine, if you think that you're so clever," Flint snarled.

"You don't need to be clever to be able to read a map," Ursa murmured, her eyes widening as she realised that they were quite literally nowhere near the Black Lake. They were anywhere but near it, and that was probably due to the fact that Flint had been reading the damn map upside down.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Flint sneered.

"You idiot! You lead us in the wrong direction! The bloody map was upside down!" Ursa yelled.

"It didn't look upside down to me," Flint retorted.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Clearly you don't know how to read. I knew I should've taken the lead from the beginning."

"Then you should've said something," Flint growled.

"I did say that I should take the lead!" Ursa exclaimed before she mocked Flint, "But you said: don't tell me what to do, Malfoy!"

"I don't sound like that!" Flint shouted.

"Right, even that would be an improvement to that troll slur you have now," Ursa remarked.

Flint glared at her, "Watch that snotty tone of yours, Malfoy."

"It's better than looking and sounding like a damn idiotic troll," Ursa shot back. Flint was really bringing out her mean side, and she hated him for it. She wouldn't be insulting him if he wasn't such an idiot.

Flint snorted, "Like I haven't heard that all my life."

"Well, it's not like anyone would have a reason to say anything nice about you with that idiotic face of yours and the way you act like a troll," Ursa snarled.

Flint rolled his eyes, "For someone so smart, Malfoy, you can't seem to come up with a good insult. You've called me an idiot like ten times already. If you're gonna insult me, at least get creative."

"Would you prefer to be called pathetically dim-witted? How about obtuse, or moronic? You're definitely a thick-headed dumbass with a touch of numbskull in you," Ursa growled.

"Don't think that you've one-upped me with your fancy words, Malfoy," Flint sneered.

"It's in the dictionary, Flint. They're not fancy," Ursa scoffed. "Maybe you should give one a read sometime so that you can expand your vocabulary beyond a first year's level? Then again, it's probably well beyond your comprehension levels with the size of your brain."

"Now you're going too far," Flint snarled as he stepped closer with a menacing look on his face.

"You don't scare me, Flint. You might be all big and bad on the Quidditch pitch but if I wanted to I could hex you before you could even whip out your wand," Ursa threatened, pointing her wand at his chest.

Before Flint could come up with a less than plausible insult, there was a sudden revving noise around them. Ursa instantly turned around, her eyes widening as she saw some type of machinery in the Forbidden Forest. It wasn't anything that she had seen before, but based on the research that she had done in Muggle Studies, Ursa was fairly certain that what she was seeing was a muggle car.

"What is that?" Flint asked.

"It's some kind of muggle contraption. A car, I believe it is," Ursa replied. "I'd say don't you read but I already know the answer to that."

Flint glared at her, "It looks like... that thing that Potter and Weasley were caught in."

"You're... right," Ursa stated, recognising it as the car that they had indeed been driving to get to Hogwarts. It had been all over the Daily Prophet. She couldn't help but be surprised at the fact that Flint had paid enough attention to that, something that he noticed.

"Don't sound so surprised, Malfoy. I do know how to read. Just not maps, apparently," Flint remarked.

The car made another revving noise, causing Flint to jump back in alarm. That wasn't the only noise that they heard, though. As the sounds that the car was making seemed to be attracting some unwanted attention.

"What do we do, Malfoy?" Flint asked urgently.

"Um..." Ursa trailed off as the animal noises around them became alarmingly louder. That could only mean that they were getting closer. "Get in the car."

"What?" Flint squawked.

"Did I stutter? I said get in the car unless you want to be eaten by whatever it is that's about to chase us down!" Ursa demanded.

That was exactly what Flint did, following after her as she got in the driver's seat while he got in the passenger seat. This was the first time that Ursa had been in a car, and she could vaguely recognise what was in front of her since she had read extensively about how this muggle contraption worked.

"What do we do now, Miss Smarty Pants?" Flint asked.

"Oh, now you want me to use my superior intelligence, but only if it's to your advantage," Ursa snapped.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. You're smart, and I'm a dumbass. Just get us out of here!" Flint exclaimed.

"Oh, I just love it when people assert my intelligence," Ursa said sarcastically.

"Do you even know how to work this thing?" Flint wondered.

"I've read about it, and I've seen it in those muggle television shows and movies. How hard can it be?" Ursa answered.

As it turned out, driving a muggle car certainly wasn't as easy as Ursa had anticipated. Her cousin Tonks had mentioned knowing how to drive once and had even offered to teach her how to drive at one point, and Ursa found herself wishing that Tonks had already taught her how to drive. It was a good thing that they had given the car a drive, since Ursa knew that it would be highly unlikely for them to outrun a flock of Acromantulas and a wolf pack that had tried chasing them down. At least it wasn't a full moon since that would've made this experience even more bloody terrifying.

"Just drive, woman!" Flint demanded.

"I am driving! And don't call me woman!" Ursa growled.

It certainly didn't help that this muggle car had clearly been modified to have magical abilities, since maybe then it wouldn't have been such a difficulty for Ursa to figure out how to work it. Nevertheless, she had been able to figure it out to the best of her ability and managed to get her and Flint away from any immediate danger.

Since they had the car, Ursa figured that she might as well use it to get them to the Black Lake to make up for some of the time that Flints stupidity had wasted. However, the car didn't seem to want them in it for any longer because no sooner than when they had gotten to the edge of the Black Lake, something in the car snapped that saw her and Flint thrown out of it through the same door, resulting in them landing in a tangled heap in the shallow end of the lake as the car drove off.

"Ugh, well, that was rude," Ursa grumbled.

"It's about time that we got here," Flint said.

Ursa glared at him, "Of course, we could've gotten here earlier if you hadn't been such an idiot."

"Here we go again," Flint rolled his eyes.

"I'm just saying that we wouldn't have been in the position where we had to rely on a car to save ourselves from Acromantulas and a wolf pack if you had been competent enough to understand how to read a map," Ursa snapped.

"Alright, alright. It's my fault. I'm an idiot, I get it, Malfoy," Flint drawled as he offered her his hand while she remained in the lake.

Instead of accepting his hand, Ursa grabbed hold of it and pulled him down so that he was in the lake too. It served him right for making a mess out of what should've been an easy detention.

"Well, that's real mature," Flint remarked.

"Like you'd know anything about being mature," Ursa remarked.

"Well, it's a bit cosy like this," Flint smirked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Ursa promptly kneed him in the gut and shoved him off her. "Now _that_ was rude."

"I don't want to have to deal with your company any more than I already have," Ursa growled.

"Feisty," Flint muttered.

"Let's just round up the bugbears," Ursa ordered.

They went on in silence, only communicating when they needed help. Ursa found that she enjoyed Flints company a lot more when he kept his mouth shut. If only he did that more often. As they shuffled along in silence, Ursa found herself feeling a bit guilty for being so snappish with him before. It wasn't like it was completely her fault, though. If Flint hadn't been such a jerk Ursa wouldn't have been such a cow. Ursa was only ever rude to people who deserved it, and Marcus Flint had certainly deserved it.

"I think that we're done here," Ursa stated.

Flint nodded, "The let's go back. And this time, you can lead the way."

"Like I should've done from the beginning," Ursa muttered.

This time, walking back was more difficult than it was to get there. They were after all, soaked in water so that made trudging through the Forbidden Forest more difficult than it needed to be. It had been decided that Flint would lead the way while Ursa called out the directions. That way she could lead them and he could be eyes for both of them if necessary.

However, Ursa hadn't counted on Flint completely failing at doing what he was supposed to be doing when her leg got snagged on a fallen tree. Ursa groaned in frustration, causing Flint to turn around to face her.

"What now?" Flint snapped.

"You were supposed to be my eyes! Now my bloody foots stuck!" Ursa snarled.

Flint sighed, "I'll help you."

Anything that Flint did only seemed to make things worse, since as he tried yanking Ursa's foot out from where it was stuck on the tree, he managed to get her leg crushed by it, the impact crushing her own bones in her left leg while piercing through her flesh, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Ow!" Ursa hissed, glaring at Flint. "You've really done it now!"

"I was trying to help you!" Flint argued.

"All your pathetic attempts at being useful has only made things worse. Now thanks to you, my bloody leg is crushed!" Ursa retorted as another surge of pain went through her. "Ow! Holy mother of Merlin!"

"I'll try and get it off you," Flint muttered.

"No!" Ursa growled. "You've done enough. I will levitate the tree off me and then you will hope that this isn't anything serious."

"It won't be something that magic can't fix," Flint argued.

"Magic can't fix everything!" Ursa shouted as she pulled out her wand and casted Wingardium Leviosa which levitated the tree off her leg after a few attempts. Ursa then cast a few healing spells that she knew on her leg to ease the pain, but it wouldn't stop the bleeding.

Ursa was just thanking her lucky stars that she knew basic healing spells, since this was probably the most serious injury that she'd had since that time when she was eight and almost cracked her skull open after she'd fallen off a tree. Her leg looked like it had been chewed open by something, which was what the tree had basically done. With more blood coming out, Ursa reached up to her neck and yanked off her tie so that she could wrap it around her leg.

"What are you doing?" Flint asked.

"Trying to stop the bleeding, it makes it better," Ursa replied. That was actually something that she had learned from watching a muggle documentary on healing, something that she hadn't learned with magic.

Flint sighed as he too pulled off his tie and handed it to her, "Here."

"Thanks," Ursa muttered as she took it. Both ties were now soaked with blood from her leg, but they had helped.

"Can you stand?" Flint asked.

"I'll try," Ursa murmured as she tried standing up, which only caused more pain to surge through her leg as she fell back to the ground. "Ow, ow. That would be a no."

"Well, get on then," Flint grumbled as he turned around.

"What?" Ursa asked.

"Get on my back, Malfoy. I'll carry you back," Flint ordered.

"You better not drop me or I'll kill you and leave your body here for the Acromantulas and the wolf pack to find," Ursa threatened.

"Wouldn't put it past you, Malfoy," Flint muttered.

"This is entirely your fault," Ursa hissed. "If I had lead the way like I suggested, we wouldn't have needed a magical car to save us from Acromantulas and a wolf pack. And if you had just lead the way properly, my foot wouldn't have gotten caught in a tree and then you wouldn't have let it get crushed."

"Hey, you were the one that got your foot stuck," Flint argued.

"You're really gonna argue with me now?" Ursa snapped. He did have a point there, not that she'd say it out loud. But if he had told her that there was a tree then she wouldn't have gotten stuck in it. So it was still his fault.

"Right, sorry," Flint mumbled.

"I say that this kind of foolishness deserves punishment," Ursa stated, already thinking of ways that she could make Flints life difficult for him like how he had made this night difficult for her.

"Like what?" Flint asked.

"For starters, you should try harder with your studying so that you're more than a pathetic student," Ursa replied.

"But Malfoy, I've got Quidditch to worry about!" Flint protested.

"I know, that's why I want you to be studying," Ursa smirked wickedly. She'd heard enough whispers about Flint to know that he detested all things school related.

"This is your idea of sabotaging Slytherin so that Ravenclaw can win, huh?" Flint theorised.

"No, I just want to see you suffer," Ursa corrected him. "Though now that you mention it, it could be helpful for my house if you're splitting your time between work and practise."

"Okay, maybe I was a bit wrong in saying that you would've been a pathetic Slytherin cause that's quite some cunning that you've got there," Flint commented.

"I'm not sure if 'some cunning' is the right way to word that. And, I want you running laps on that Quidditch Pitch until your bloody ass bleeds," Ursa proclaimed.

Flint sighed, "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am either," Ursa growled.

"Yes, sir," Flint said, and Ursa could practically hear that smirk on his face.

"Don't call me anything other than my name," Ursa said.

"Fine, Malfoy," Flint grumbled.

To Ursa's surprise, having Flint carry her back to Hagrid's Hut was somewhat of a pleasant experience. They did spend majority of their time sniping at each other, though this time their insults weren't filled with as much malice. Ursa had to appreciate Flint to some degree since he could've easily just left her there, yet he had done the gentleman thing to do and carried her back. Granted, it was his fault that she even needed carrying back so Ursa would've made him done just that if he'd tried to leave her there.

"Looks like our night of terror is almost over, Malfoy," Flint commented as they approached the edge of the Forbidden Forest that would lead them back to Hagrid's hut.

"Yep, this was easily the worst night of my life," Ursa said.

"How's your leg?" Flint asked.

"It's kind of gone numb now but moving it hurts," Ursa replied.

"I guess that's good..." Flint trailed off as they reached the Hogwarts grounds.

"Thanks for the effort," Ursa patted him on the shoulder. "And remember, once my leg heals up you're going to be-"

"Running laps until my bloody arse bleeds, I got it," Flint interjected.

When Hagrid saw them, he was obviously worried about the condition that Ursa was in. Though to be honest, Ursa figured that he was more worried about getting in trouble for this rather than her safety. She would have to make sure that Hagrid didn't get in trouble, since it wasn't his fault that Marcus Flint had been an idiot. One thing that Ursa didn't miss, however, was the strange look that Oliver Wood gave them when Flint carried her onto the grounds. Flint took that as an opportunity to boast his superiority, and Ursa had to resist the urge to point out the fact that it was his fault that she was like this.

In the end, Hagrid ended up carrying Ursa to the Hospital Wing, and being carried by a giant was certainly different to being carried by someone like Flint. They'd been joined by him on Hagrid's orders, but Madam Pomfrey was quick to take charge once she had Ursa sat down.

"Oh my goodness, Miss Malfoy. This looks like a nasty wound," Madam Pomfrey said with worry. "How on earth did this happen?"

Flint gulped as he began to explain, "Well, you see-"

"It was my fault, Madam Pomfrey," Ursa cut in, ignoring the look of surprise that Flint gave her. "We were in detention, and Flint wanted to take the lead but I insisted on taking charge. I got us lost and I let a tree fall on my leg. Flint was kind enough to carry me back so that I wouldn't risk hurting my leg even more."

"I see," Madam Pomfrey said. "Thank you for your help, Mr Flint. Ten points to Slytherin. You and Hagrid may go now while I attend to Miss Malfoy."

"But, Madam Pomfrey," Flint started.

"Now, Mr Flint," Madam Pomfrey ordered.

Giving Ursa one last look of confusion, Flint followed Hagrid out of the Hospital Wing to leave Ursa in Madam Pomfrey's care. Despite the fact that it was Flints fault that she was even here, Ursa had felt a little bad about all of the grief that she had given him during the night. Of course, he hadn't held back either but even Ursa had to admit that she had been particularly harsh. Taking the blame for this incident only seemed like the fair thing to do as far as Ursa was concerned, so that's why she did. Now all Ursa had to do was sit back and let Madam Pomfrey fuss over her while hoping that this little injury wouldn't interfere too much with her studies. She had her O.W.L.s to worry about after all, even if those weren't until the end of the year.

* * *

**When I first planned Ursa's detention, it was going to be a small snippet with Fred and George but the idea of her insulting Marcus Flint and trying to drive a magical car in the Forbidden Forest sounded much more promising. Besides, I was gonna bring Flint into the story later so I just decided to speed things up. He'll definitely be serving a purpose in here, you'll just have to wait and see what that'll be.**


	9. Something in the Air

**Now it's time for things to get serious here as this story starts to overlap with the main plot, albeit with a few changes of my own. You can expect Ursa to play a key role on the side with everything going on because she'll be just as much of a part of this as Hermione.**

* * *

**Something in the Air**

* * *

During her time at Hogwarts so far, Ursa had never spent too much time in the Hospital Wing. Ursa wouldn't consider herself accident prone since the only reasons why she had needed to go to the Hospital Wing in the past were a result of flying class. Any injuries that she had sustained before had been healed within hours by Madam Pomfrey, only that wasn't the case with Ursa this time. According to the medi-witch, her leg would take some time to heal properly even with the help of magic and that it would most likely leave a scar where it had been torn open. Under Madam Pomfrey's orders, Ursa was to remain in the Hospital Wing for the rest of the week, much to her chagrin.

Ever since Ursa had almost cracked her skull open when she was eight, Ursa had never been a fan of hospitals. She had spent over a month in the hospital after that incident and she hated every moment of it. The next time Ursa had gone to the hospital was when she was nine, which was the result of a broken arm after she had gone flying for the first time. Another year later, she was back there again to say goodbye to her dying grandfather. In short, bad things happened in hospital and you were only there for something bad. That was why Ursa hated them.

After spending three days in the Hospital Wing, Ursa was more than ready to get out of there. Her leg felt fine to her, though Madam Pomfrey said that it would be a result of the numbness from the pain killers that she had taken. Ursa hated being holed up in there, wanting nothing more than to get out and go to her lessons. She was helped by the fact that Tessa had brought in her missed work, much to Ursa's relief.

"Thanks for bringing these to me," Ursa smiled at her friend.

Tessa rolled her eyes, "You know, most people would love to be in the Hospital Wing if it meant getting out of doing work and going to lessons. Only you would hate it because of that."

"I'm not like most people," Ursa shrugged.

"I know," Tessa snorted.

"I can't wait until I get out of here. I feel like a prisoner," Ursa grumbled.

"Yeah, I know you hate hospitals," Tessa said, her voice trailing off in a way that made Ursa think that her friend had something else on her mind.

"You seem distracted," Ursa observed. "Is there something that you wanna talk about?"

Tessa sighed as she sat down on Ursa's bed, giving her a serious look, "Have you ever heard of the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Of course I have. It's one of Hogwarts most ancient legends. They say that Salazar Slytherin built a secret chamber inside of Hogwarts before he left the four founders. The legend says that inside of it is a monster so terrifying that it would purge the school into chaos. As far as I know, no chamber has ever been found and it is believed that Slytherin left it there so that one day an heir of his could finish what he started in ridding the school of those that in his eyes were unworthy to learn magic," Ursa explained.

"Muggleborns," Tessa deduced.

"Exactly," Ursa grimaced. "Why bring this up, though?"

"Apparently the chamber has been opened," Tessa replied.

Ursa's eyes widened, "What? How do you mean?"

"Well, it happened last night. Filch's cat was found petrified and there was blood written on the walls that spelt out a message: the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware," Tessa answered.

"Oh my gosh," Ursa murmured, suddenly remembering how last night Madam Pomfrey had brought in a trolley with something on top of it, though it was covered and in an awkward position. She now assumed that to be Filch's petrified cat.

"And it shouldn't take a wild guess to figure out who was first there when Filch's cat was found," Tessa said.

"The Gryffindors," Ursa stated, referring to Hermione and her two troublesome friends.

"Yep," Tessa nodded. "Filch immediately accused them of murdering his cat before Dumbledore revealed that Mrs Norris was only petrified. Potter, Weasley and Granger insisted that they had nothing to do with it but you know how Hogwarts is. Now today all everyone can talk about is the mysterious chamber."

"Naturally, because once something happens in Hogwarts its only a matter of time before everyone and their mother knows," Ursa said. "But this isn't just anything. If there really is a Chamber of Secrets then everyone, not just the muggleborns, could be in serious danger because there is no way of knowing what powers the monster has if the legend is true."

"Don't go getting so sour on me now, Ursa. I do come with some amusing news," Tessa remarked.

"What kind of news?" Ursa narrowed her eyes.

"Earlier Flint was being his usual jackass self and made some comments to Wood, so naturally Wood punched him in the face. It was awesome," Tessa explained, grinning.

"Boys," Ursa murmured.

"Flint surely would've given Wood one right back if Sprout hadn't showed up at that moment. She always has to spoil the fun with her Hufflepuff ways," Tessa glowered.

"Violence is never the answer," Ursa proclaimed.

Tessa rolled her eyes, "Don't go all righteous on me, Ursa. I can't believe that you wouldn't think that Flint would deserve a punch in the face after he basically maimed your leg."

"If Flint was to deserve a punch in the face, it would be from me instead of Wood," Ursa pointed out.

"Whatever," Tessa shrugged. "I better leave you to your nerding out. Can't have our star pupil falling behind even though she's already miles ahead of everyone else in our year."

"It never hurts to study diligently," Ursa muttered as Tessa left her, chuckling on her way out.

Although Tessa was right in the fact that most students would be thrilled to spend more time in the Hospital Wing if it meant not having to go to classes, Ursa hated it. She hated the boredom of just sitting around and doing nothing. One of the only few good qualities that her father had instilled in her was her work ethic. There was no denying that Lucius Malfoy was an ambitious man and worked hard to achieve what he got, something that Ursa also had. The only reason why the Sorting Hat had considered putting her in Slytherin was because of her ambition, since that was the only Slytherin quality that Ursa would admit to possessing.

Sometime after letting herself get buried in her studies, Ursa wasn't the only person in the Hospital Wing as Madam Pomfrey ushered someone inside. Looking up, Ursa was surprised to see that it was Marcus, though she figured that he was there because of the punch what Wood had given him. Ursa had stopped referring to him as Flint once her initial anger and frustration at him had subsided, since she realised that referring to people by their last names out of pettiness was more of a Draco thing to do.

"Mr Flint, how many times have I told you not to antagonise Mr Wood," Madam Pomfrey berated him.

"Obviously not enough," Marcus grumbled.

"Keep holding this to your eye. I shall go get you a potion that will soothe the bruise," Madam Pomfrey said before disappearing from the Hospital Wing, leaving Marcus and Ursa as the only ones there.

It wasn't long before Marcus approached Ursa's bed, and she warily looked at him, grimacing as she saw the black eye. Wood really did do a number on his face, though Ursa couldn't help but acknowledge how strange it was. During their time at Hogwarts, Marcus and Oliver Wood's rivalry was infamous. They were the poster boys for the Gryffindor vs Slytherin rivalry, always trying their best to send each other to the Hospital Wing in every Quidditch match that they played against each other. And of course their rivalry continued off the Quidditch pitch, though only with insults and pranks. Ursa had never known either of them to be violent towards each other, and in the rare occasions that they were it was always Marcus who instigated it, never Wood.

"So you finally broke Wood's resolve, huh?" Ursa commented.

"I might've egged him on," Marcus said.

"Whatever you said must've been bad if it made him punch you," Ursa stated.

"Well, that was kind of the goal," Marcus replied.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Wait, what?"

"I wanted Wood to punch me," Marcus clarified.

"Why would you want that? Do you have some kind of fetish for violence?" Ursa questioned.

"No, I wanted him to punch me so that I would have an excuse to come and see you," Marcus answered.

"Okay, now I'm even more confused," Ursa grumbled.

"Well, I couldn't just say that I was popping in to see you since we're hardly friends," Marcus reasoned.

"So, let me get this straight. You got yourself punched on purpose to come and see me when you could've just waited until I was released from the Hospital Wing to come and find me yourself?" Ursa clarified.

"Well, when you put it that way it does sound kind of stupid," Marcus admitted.

"It is stupid," Ursa stated. "Why would you even want to come and see me?"

"Cause I wanted to talk to you," Marcus replied.

"Why?" Ursa asked warily.

"Look, Malfoy," Marcus started. "I get that it was partly my fault that your leg got torn apart and I acknowledge that I might have been an ass to you because you were just so infuriating, but I just don't know why you took the heat off me when it was my fault that you're in here."

Ursa sighed, "I was being the bigger person."

"Why?" Marcus asked.

"I suppose that upon some reflection on our time in the Forbidden Forest, I realised that I too was hardly a desirable companion. You might have also infuriated me but that gave me no right to behave like I did," Ursa replied.

"What are you saying?" Marcus wondered, though Ursa suspected that he knew what she was saying but just wanted her to say it in a different way that was more appeasing to him.

"Are you really going to make me say it?" Ursa snapped, rolling her eyes tat Marcus' expectant look. "I had been a cow, okay. I'm big enough to admit that. You might have been obnoxious but that gave me no right to insult your intelligence and belittle you like I did."

"But I was still obnoxious," Marcus pointed out.

"And I have always said that just because someone might treat you a certain way, that doesn't mean that you should treat them the same and that's exactly what I did. It was uncalled for and I suppose me taking the heat off of you was my way of calling things even," Ursa explained.

"So, no punishment then?" Marcus asked.

"Oh, you're still going to be running laps until your arse bleeds once I get out of here," Ursa replied.

"Hours of fun," Marcus grumbled.

"And I guess upon further reflection since I have had nothing else to do while I've been holed up in here, I also realised that as much as I hated you for saying what you said to me, it was true," Ursa admitted.

"Huh?" Marcus said.

"You're right. I _am _a self-righteous know-it-all Ravenclaw. I _do _flaunt my intelligence because it's one of my only qualities that make me stand out from everyone else. If I wasn't a Ravenclaw, I would be just like every other snotty Slytherin out there with my blood being my only standout quality," Ursa proclaimed.

"Well, it's nice for somebody to say that I'm right once and a while," Marcus muttered.

"I've always tried to study hard and be a standout student, not just because I want to be different from the rest but because it's the only way that I'll ever be seen as an equal to Draco. If you've listened to him enough, I'm sure that you know that he's constantly dotted on while I've never received more than half of his adoration that he gets from our parents. So all my life I've used my superior intellect above all others because it's all I have to make me worthy of receiving any accolades and it's the only thing that I have that makes me less of a stereotyped product of what I despise more than anything in the world," Ursa ranted, only stopping to look at the utterly confused look on Marcus' face.

"Uh…" he trailed off.

"You have no idea what I just said, do you?" Ursa stated.

"None at all," Marcus admitted.

"I like being smarter than everyone else because it makes me feel good about myself. It's the only way that I'll ever get noticed or praised for doing something good and meaningful," Ursa clarified.

"Well, I guess that's like me with Quidditch," Marcus agreed.

Now it was Ursa's turn to be confused. "Huh?"

"I wouldn't be the first to say that I'm no brainiac. I've never been smart or a good student like you, much to my parents disappointment. Quidditch is the only thing that I've ever been good at. It's the only thing that I really care about at all. If I could spend the rest of my life playing Quidditch, I would. But my parents want me to get a real career which is laughable since I'm shit at everything else and I'm on my way to failing my NEWTs," Marcus explained.

"That's exactly what it's like for me. My father has already planned what I'm going to do with my life once I'm done with Hogwarts with me not getting any say in it at all. Though he's never told me what he wants me to do, I'm sure that he's come up with some career path for me that keeps me away from the public eye so that I can't be more of an embarrassment to the family name than he already thinks I am," Ursa said with a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"Wow, we are pathetic," Marcus stated after a moment of silence.

"I suppose we have more in common than I realised," Ursa commented.

"You thought we had anything in common to begin with?" Marcus asked.

"Well, we do share a familial connection," Ursa pointed out.

"What?" Marcus stammered.

"Oh, honestly, Marcus. Don't you know anything about your family history?" Ursa asked exasperatingly.

Marcus shrugged, "The only relative I really know of is my I don't know how many greats grandmother Josephina Flint with her anti-muggle laws."

"Well, there is also your I don't know how many greats aunt Ursula Flint who married my great-great-great grandfather Phineas Nigellus Black," Ursa replied.

"So… we're like… related?" Marcus stammered.

"Well, we're more like distantly related in the sense that we'd be close to fourth cousins once removed since our familial connection isn't immediate because Ursula Flint would have to be a great aunt of yours. But in the grand scheme of things, we are related," Ursa clarified.

"You know too much for your own good, Malfoy," Marcus remarked.

"It pays to know these things, Marcus. You never know when it might come in handy to know about your family history," Ursa reasoned.

"How is it that you know all of this when I can barely figure out how to pass my NEWTs?" Marcus grumbled.

"Well, if you want… I could, you know, help you maybe?" Ursa offered.

Marcus snorted, "Nah, I'm good. Having to be tutored by anyone else is humiliating enough, but to have that be someone who's two years below you is even worse."

"So, what, you're just gonna fail your NEWTs and stay at Hogwarts forever?" Ursa asked.

"They'll have to let me go eventually. And at least that way I can keep playing Quidditch," Marcus replied.

"Well, if you change your mind I would be more than happy to help," Ursa stated.

"Why would you even want to help me, Malfoy?" Marcus wondered.

Ursa shrugged, "I like helping people, I guess. I understand that you must have an insatiable ego that prevents you from having the ability to ask for help, but just know that it is okay to ask for help when you need it."

"I'll consider it for when I'm desperate enough to want your help," Marcus conceded.

Seconds later, Madam Pomfrey came bustling back in with the soothing potion for Marcus and it wasn't long before he was escorted out of the Hospital Wing, leaving Ursa to herself once again. Only now she had more than her studies on her mind, since the sudden news of the Chamber of Secrets had left her rattled and in a desperate need to know more. But Ursa could only know so much, and there was still so much more that she needed to know.

~*•°•*~

Much to Ursa's relief, Madam Pomfrey had given her an early reprieve from the Hospital Wing. Ursa had been more than happy to return to her lessons, only she seemed to be the only one that was focused on those with all the talk being about the Chamber of Secrets. There was also that and the first Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match of the year where Harry Potter had been chased by a rouge bludger. Ursa hadn't been to the match since she was holed up in her dorm, but her father had attended the match and he had come to berate her for missing her brothers first Quidditch match and didn't even seem to care that she had been injured. Of course Ursa had gone to see her brother afterwards, but Draco simply took one look at her before sneering and telling her to get the hell away from him.

With everything that was going on, Ursa barely realised that she hadn't heard from Hermione since before Draco had called her a mudblood. At first Ursa suspected that perhaps that was why Hermione hadn't spoken to her, but surely Hermione would have known how she scolded Draco for doing so. There were a few times when Ursa tried getting Hermione's attention, only every time Ursa tried doing so Hermione would look the other way. That confirmed Ursa's suspicion that Hermione was intentionally avoiding her, though she couldn't figure out why.

Three weeks after getting nothing from Hermione, Ursa finally decided to confront the younger girl and figure out what was going on. After knowing Hermione for a year, Ursa was fairly confident that she knew where to find the other girl around the school which was why Ursa found herself heading towards the library. That was before she came across the two Weasley twins that were acting far too suspicious for her liking, especially when she saw one of them shove something into their back pockets.

"Weasleys, what is going on here?" Ursa demanded.

"Darn it, Freddie. We've been caught by the glooming monster known as the Prefect," George Weasley jeered.

"Even worse, it's a Malfoy," Fred Weasley added.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "I'll ask again, what is going on here?"

"Nothing that should concern you, dear Prefect," Fred replied with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"You see, Weasleys, unlike most people and teachers I wasn't born yesterday so I will not be fooled by your foolish antics," Ursa crossed her arms.

"We'll never tell you our secrets," George proclaimed, raising his arms to show a piece of paper sticking out from his pocket.

"Then I'll just have to find them out on my own," Ursa said before reaching forward and snatching the paper from George's pocket.

"Hey, you can't take what isn't yours!" Fred protested.

"As a glooming Prefect it is my duty to investigate any suspicious behaviour and any behaviour is suspicious when it concerns you two, especially when you felt the need to shove this in your pocket the moment you saw me approaching," Ursa stated.

"She's got us there, Fred," George agreed before his face lifted up into a smirk. "Why don't you give it a read, Malfoy?"

"I think I will," Ursa murmured as she casted Revelio on the map, her face morphing into a frown as she read the words on the piece of parchment. "Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs would like to request that the glooming ghost of a Prefect get off her high horse and stop acting like she's better than everyone else when she's even more bland than the average person. Lady Malfoy would be doing everyone a favour if she just kept her yapper shut and kindly left the masters to their business. Maybe if she wasn't so interfering people would be able to tolerate her overbearing presence and she wouldn't be doomed to spending the rest of her dreadful life with forty cats since nobody would ever want to put up with someone like her."

Now that certainly wasn't what Ursa was expecting to find. She'd expected to find some sort of plan for mischief, certainly not a bit of parchment that just insulted her. Looking down at the twins, Ursa could see them grinning from ear to ear as they stifled back some laughter. Ursa was hardly grinning as she glared at them.

"Oh, lighten up Lady Malfoy. You read it, not us," Fred said.

"Right," Ursa rolled her eyes. "I haven't got the faintest idea of what this actually is, but I have a feeling that it's a little more than a piece of parchment that just insults whoever reads it because why need the extra pieces of parchment? There is also the fact that this hardly seems like its from your standards since I always thought that you were above juvenile insults."

"I wasn't aware that we had standards, Freddie," George said.

"I'm honoured that the esteemed Lady Malfoy would think so highly of us," Fred laughed.

"More like I would think so low of you that the idea of you two insulting people wasn't your brand of comedy," Ursa snorted. "Now, I'm at a very interesting predicament where I need to decide what to do with… whatever this is. Clearly it's something that should be investigated by the professors."

George's eyes widened, "Alright, Malfoy. There's no need to do something hasty like that. We're all good here."

"Yeah, so why don't you just give us back the paper and we can forget this ever happened," Fred added.

"Hm, I don't know," Ursa drawled as she crossed her arms and walked around in circles. "Someone could get their feelings hurt by this rude piece of parchment. You're lucky that I have thicker skin than most people, Weasleys. Now, what to do. What to do? I wonder if Hagrid is busy right now. Or maybe Snape could use some help. Perhaps Filch is looking for someone to hang from his shackles right now…"

"What do we have to do to buy your silence so that we can keep it?" Fred asked.

Ursa smirked, "Now, Weasleys. Let me tell you something about bargaining. You should never leave yourselves so vulnerable to people by just offering your services like you just did. The things that I could have you do…"

"Are you sure you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw by mistake?" George wondered.

"Since I have somewhere else that I would rather be and I don't have the time to keep up with either of you, I'm going to keep this simple. I'll let you keep this parchment and I won't tell any teacher about it if you teach my little brother a lesson," Ursa proposed.

"What kind of lesson?" they both asked simultaneously.

"A lesson on why you shouldn't use degrading slurs towards people," Ursa scowled.

"Huh?" George blinked.

"You were there when he called Hermione Granger the muggleborn slur, weren't you?" Ursa reminded them. "Make my brother pay for calling her that… that word."

"Wait a minute… so you want _us _to give your brother comeuppance for using that slur?" Fred clarified.

Ursa nodded, "Yes, I do. Make it good. I am intrusting this on you because I know that you won't hold anything back from giving Draco his deserved karma."

"But why would you want us to do that?" George asked.

"Because Weasley, contrary to popular belief not all Malfoys are prejudiced pureblood snobs. Well, not me at least," Ursa shrugged.

"So you'll give us the paper back and won't tell anyone if we prank your brother?" Fred confirmed.

"I will," Ursa stated as she handed it back to them. "If you do well enough to not get caught, I might even pin the blame on someone else for you as a respectable student. But if you do get caught, I won't be letting you off the hook since it would be a result of your own foolish mistakes. Now, I am going to go on my way now and there is no need for this conversation to be continued elsewhere. Do your worst, Weasleys."

George grinned, "You can count on us, Lady Malfoy."

"We'll give Malfoy Junior his comeuppance, alright," Fred smirked.

"Good. Now, shouldn't you both be heading back to Gryffindor Tower?" Ursa stated.

They did just that, with the Weasley's heading back while Ursa continued heading towards the library. Asking the Weasley twins to give her brother a dose of karma had not been Ursa's plan, but after she realised that Draco hadn't been properly punished for calling Hermione that word, Ursa decided that she would just have to take matters into her own hands. And the Weasley twins were legendary pranksters at Hogwarts, so Ursa trusted them to lay it on Draco. Maybe then he would think twice about insulting Hermione, or anyone for that matter.

Upon entering the library, Ursa found Madam Pince and asked her if she had seen Hermione come in. Ursa was quite proud of the fact that she was one of the few students that the grouchy librarian didn't scowl at the moment she laid eyes on them. She had used an excuse saying that Professor McGonagall was looking for Hermione, which Madam Pince had believed and directed her to the Restricted Section, which surprised Ursa even more than Madam Pince letting her in without having a permission slip. It certainly paid to be a favourite amongst teachers, especially with someone like Pince who was usually so stingy when it came to the rules of the library.

Nobody else appeared to be in the Restricted Section, so Ursa headed down to the only aisle that had light illuminating from it. Sure enough, Ursa found Hermione searching through the shelves for whatever she was hoping to find.

"So, what brings you here to the Restricted Section?" Ursa asked.

Hermione's head whipped around to face her, "U-Ursa?"

"Yes, me. What are you looking for, Hermione? I've certainly been acquainted with this part of the library so perhaps I could help you," Ursa offered.

"It's nothing that concerns you," Hermione mumbled.

Ursa sighed, "You've been avoiding me, Minnie."

"No I haven't," Hermione argued.

"Yes, you have. Every time that I have looked for you or tried getting your attention over the past two weeks, you've just looked the other way. I've sat in our spot every night, but you haven't showed up. If you're avoiding me then I want to know why," Ursa said.

"It's nothing, really," Hermione insisted.

"Is this about… what Draco called you?" Ursa asked.

"Oh, no. It's not about that. I know that you're not your brother and that it would be wrong of me to associate the two of you together like that," Hermione replied.

"Then what is your problem with me, Hermione? I deserve to know why you're avoiding me," Ursa argued.

Hermione sighed, "Ursa… what do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Just the legend of it, that it was built in Hogwarts by Salazar Slytherin with a monster to purge the school of muggleborns. Only the Heir of Slytherin can control it," Ursa answered.

"And do you have any idea of who the Heir of Slytherin is?" Hermione asked timidly.

"Like I would know," Ursa shrugged before a realisation dawned on her. "You think that it is me."

"Well, I don't. But Harry and Ron do. Normally their theories are pretty far-fetched, but it's plausible though. You belong to an ancient pureblood family that goes back generations so you could very well be the Heir of Slytherin," Hermione reasoned.

"Minnie, if I was the Heir of Slytherin, don't you think that I would know that? That sort of information isn't exactly something that my parents would keep from me, even if they think that I'm a disgrace to the Malfoy name. And besides, if Draco knew that he was the Heir of Slytherin, his ego would implode. He would be even more intolerable than he is now," Ursa argued.

"I'm just thinking of the possibilities, Ursa. You could be the Heir of Slytherin and your parents couldn't even know about it," Hermione stated.

"But I just… I can't be. If I was, then I should've been a for sure bet in Slytherin. But I am a Ravenclaw. And there is no way that the Sorting Hat would allow the Heir of Slytherin to go in any other house that their ancestor did not come from," Ursa insisted.

"But you could still be. You once told me that nearly all pureblood families are related somehow and we both know that Slytherin was a pureblood. It's possible whether or not you want to admit it," Hermione murmured.

Ursa sighed, "Then how are we going to figure that out?"

"Well, I've come up with a plan with Harry and Ron to make Polyjuice Potion so that they can transform into Crabbe and Goyle to interrogate your brother to find out what he knows," Hermione replied.

"That's actually not that bad of a plan… only Polyjuice Potion is an incredibly advanced potion. Take it from me, someone who has actually made it. It was easily the hardest potion that I'd ever had to make," Ursa said.

"It's a good thing that you've made it then, because you can help me," Hermione stated.

"To know that potion you're going to need the recipe," Ursa pointed out.

"Which is why I surrendered my autograph from Professor Lockhart so that I could gain access to the Restricted Section to find _Moste Potente Potions. _You wouldn't happen to know where to find it by any chance?" Hermione wondered.

"Third shelf over there," Ursa pointed in the direction, having used that book herself to get the Polyjuice potion recipe. "You better hurry because Madam Pince will get suspicious if we're taking too long since I told her that you were needed by Professor McGonagall."

"Who's signature did you have to get in here?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't need a signature. Pince let me through here on her own accord," Ursa replied.

Hermione's eyes widened, "What? Pince let you in _without a note_? How? Why?"

Ursa chuckled, "Because Pince actually likes me and she trusts me as a Prefect and a Ravenclaw not to abuse the library."

"Alright, I got it," Hermione proclaimed as she pulled the required book from the shelves. "Let's get out of here."

Doing just that, the two left the library together with the book in hand. There was still a tense silence between them, and Ursa knew that there was nothing she could do to alleviate Hermione's concerns about her being the Heir of Slytherin. Even Ursa was having her own concerns, since she had to admit that Hermione's theory did make sense. Nearly all pureblood families were related somehow, so there was every possibility that Ursa could be a descendent of one of the most ancient pureblood families in history. For Ursa's sake, she just hoped that Hermione's theory was what it was: a theory.

* * *

**Well this chapter ended up being longer than I had anticipated. It's just great to see how that can turn out sometimes when you write and things don't turn out the way that you expected. Sometimes chapters just write themselves and all you do is just speed the process. Anyways, I hope that you guys enjoyed that chapter since things are certainly going to start changing now. **


	10. Terrible Plots

**After being gone for a while, I've finally gotten some free time back on my hands which means that I should be able to get out a lot more frequent updates for my stories. I'm kind of a little stumped at this point since I've sort of changed the direction that the story is going in at this point but I wanted to get this moving on before a month passed so here we go.**

* * *

**Terrible Plots**

* * *

In the days at followed, the paranoia at Hogwarts became obvious. Everybody was concerned with the Chamber of Secrets and it was all Ursa could hear about. Ursa hadn't seen Hogwarts in this much of a frenzy since her sorting into Ravenclaw. It was clear that the muggleborns were on edge, since it was clear that whatever was on the loose was after them. The purebloods had become even more unbearable, and this was yet another reason why Ursa disliked being a pureblood. But she wasn't going to let that bother her, because the Chamber of Secrets had left all sorts of thoughts in Ursa's mind and she wasn't going to rest until they made sense.

One thing that Ursa prided on was her ability to research. Whenever there was something that she needed to find, she left no stone unturned and had a keen eye for detail. Ursa tended to notice things that other people didn't, and she prided herself on her ability to find what other people couldn't. So with that in mind, Ursa had every intention of discovering just what exactly was going on beyond the walls of Hogwarts. The first thing that Ursa needed to do was research the Slytherin family as far as she could to see if there was a possible connection between her family and the ancient house.

So that was why Ursa found herself holed up in the library in the late hours of the night with stacks of books beside her. There were books on parselmouths, pureblood families and anything else that Ursa thought could help her figure out what was going on. To start with, Ursa was investigating the known descendants of Slytherin's line after Salazar Slytherin. Since almost every pureblood family was related somehow, Ursa was keeping her eyes open for any names that would share a connection to her. If Ursa did share a connection to Slytherin, it would most likely be through her mothers side since the House of Black had a rather extensive family tree, only that probably wasn't something that Ursa would find at Hogwarts. The chances were more likely of Ursa finding that somewhere in the Manor. It wasn't long before Ursa found herself joined by Hermione in her search, though there was no denying the nerves that Hermione was showing.

"Hey," Hermione greeted her as she sat her bag down. "How's the research going?"

"Merde," Ursa swore in French.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "Not good?"

"Well, it's not that I'm not getting anywhere. It's just that there's so much that I need to go through so that I can find what I need to know," Ursa clarified.

"You really shouldn't swear, even if it is in French. Prefects are supposed to be model students and swearing isn't exactly setting a good example," Hermione stated.

"You know French?" Ursa realised.

"My parents took me to France last summer and I learned French when I was still at muggle school," Hermione replied. "How do you know French?"

"The Malfoy side of my family came from France. My surname is derived from "mal foi" which literally means bad faith, so I can see why they went with the alternative spelling since having a surname that means bad faith isn't the best way to make an impression," Ursa explained.

"Neither is your family history," Hermione pointed out.

"That too," Ursa chuckled, "Anyways, I spent every summer in France until the year before I started Hogwarts. I have cousins in France so I used to visit them with Draco and we stayed at our family villa there. Those were some of the best moments of my childhood. Actually, they were the only good moments in my childhood. We actually had _fun _together. I learned French from my cousins, so I am fluent in it while Draco on the other hand, only learned French so that he could curse in French."

"You have cousins on your fathers side?" Hermione stated.

Ursa nodded, "I do. My father has a sister, and they never really got along but my mother always insisted on maintaining strong family relations with the family members that we were actually allowed to talk to. They're the only family that I ever saw in my childhood, since one of my mothers sisters was disowned and the other is in Azkaban. I guess my grandfather Abraxas counts too before he died."

"Your aunt in Azkaban is Bellatrix Lestrange, correct?" Hermione clarified.

"That's the one," Ursa grimaced. "You know, she almost drowned me when I was two."

Hermione's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yep. I didn't really spend any time with her before she got imprisoned, since she was never left alone with me again after she almost drowned me. But from what I remember, she was pretty mad," Ursa said.

"I suppose we've gone off on a bit of a tangent here so we should probably get back on track," Hermione stated. "What have you found out?"

"Since there's hardly any information on the Malfoy family line before they came to Britain and I wouldn't be able to find what I need to know on the Black family tree here, I've decided to just investigate Slytherin's line to see where his descendants are," Ursa explained.

"Anything interesting?" Hermione wondered.

"Actually, there is an interesting connection here. Did you know that one of Salazar Slytherin's ancestors was the co-founder of Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Ursa stated.

"Isolt Sayre?" Hermione gasped.

Ursa nodded, "Yes, that one. I haven't found anything connecting her to parselmouth, but her aunt Gormlaith Gaunt was a parselmouth."

"Isn't the Gaunt family one of the Sacred Twenty Eight?" Hermione wondered.

"They are, but their family line is said to be extinct after Marvolo Gaunt and his son and daughter. But there is some uncertainty…" Ursa trailed off.

"What uncertainty?" Hermione asked.

"I've heard… rumours about his daughter, Merope. She caused quite a bit of a stir when she smuggled a love potion to a muggle. I don't know all the details, but it's said that she tricked him into loving her and that he left her when he found out what she had done. It's said that they'd gotten married, but I don't know anything more that could've happened," Ursa explained.

"Whoever invented love potions should be ashamed of themselves. Honestly, what were they trying to achieve with that nonsense? It doesn't create real love, just infatuation. And it is certainly fair for the person who ends up taking it," Hermione scowled.

"With the way that you're _infatuated _with Lockhart, I'd say that you were smuggled a love potion," Ursa remarked.

"I was not and I am not infatuated with him. I simply _admire _Lockhart for everything that he's done to the Wizarding World and I can only dream of what it must be like to be as successful as him," Hermione gushed.

Ursa rolled her eyes, choosing to bite her tongue yet again on Lockhart. "I'm sure that you'll be just as successful, if not, more successful than that oaf in the years to come, Minnie. You're friends with Harry bloody Potter for Merlin's sake."

"Are you saying that I'd only be successful through Harry?" Hermione crossed her arms.

"No, I'm not. You would be just as successful on your own with that pretty mind of yours. It just helps to be friends with a famous wizard, that's all," Ursa stated. "How is Harry, anyways? I heard that Lockhart's attempt to mend his arm left more to be desired."

"It was a simple mistake, that was all," Hermione reasoned. "And anyways, Harry's fine. It was just a nasty process of regrowing his bones."

"That bludger could not have been acting on its own with the way it seemed fixated on him," Ursa said.

"It certainly wasn't. A _house elf _had tampered with it!" Hermione exclaimed.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Come again?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you about that, did I? Before the start of the year when Harry was still at his relatives house, a house elf appeared and warned him not to return to Hogwarts. According to the house elf, terrible things were going to happen and the elf was trying to stop Harry from returning. The same house elf later confessed to tampering with the bludger when Harry was in the Hospital Wing," Hermione explained.

"You know, if this was happening anywhere else I probably wouldn't believe you but since this is Hogwarts and stranger things have happened, I'll take your word for it," Ursa remarked. "So, a _house elf _is trying to stop Harry from being at Hogwarts?"

"Yes. The house elf kept Harry's letters from him so that he would think that we didn't care about him and would therefore not want to come back. Then he sealed the entrance to Platform 9 and ¾ so that he couldn't go and then the elf tampered with the bludger so that Harry would see that it wasn't safe here and choose to leave," Hermione revealed.

"Wait, so you're telling me that the Platform to 9 and ¾ was sealed off so instead of waiting for someone to come and get them, your friends decided to take a flying car instead and risk getting expelled when they literally could have just waited there?" Ursa squawked.

Hermione grimaced, "They really aren't the smartest pair. But yes, that's how it happened."

"I just find it difficult to believe that a house elf would go to all that trouble," Ursa commented as she reached for another book. "Did the elf tell Harry his name or what family he serves?"

"He couldn't say what family he served but he did mention his name… Dobby, I think it was," Hermione replied.

The book that Ursa was holding onto slipped out of her hands as she sat there gawking. "D-dobby? Are you _sure _that's what the elf said his name was?"

"Pretty sure, yeah," Hermione said. "Why?"

Ursa gulped, "Oh, no reason. It's just… I think that we should be heading off to bed before Pince bites our heads off."

"I thought you said that she liked you," Hermione stated.

"Most of the time. Now, you better head off. I'll put all of the books back on my own. We'll catch up again some other time," Ursa ordered.

"Okay then," Hermione murmured, though there was no missing the uncertainty in her voice.

Once Hermione was out of eyesight, Ursa buried her face into her hands as she let out a groan of frustration. Unless there was another family out there with a house elf called Dobby, she was pretty certain that it was her family's house elf who had come to warn Harry Potter. That thought alone brought on more questions for Ursa as she wondered just what it was that Dobby was trying to warn Harry about. Was it possible that Dobby knew about the Chamber of Secrets? That thought made Ursa's stomach turn. Was it possible that her _father _knew about the Chamber of Secrets?

Realising that she wasn't going to get anywhere else tonight, Ursa picked up the books that she had collected before checking them out to herself so that she could refer to them later. However, as Ursa was heading back to Ravenclaw Tower, she had an uneasy feeling going on inside of her. It was like that sinking suspicion when you think that someone's following you, and that almost scared Ursa considering the current state of Hogwarts with the Chamber of Secrets.

"Who is there?" Ursa demanded as she turned around to see if she was being followed. There was nothing there, so Ursa turned around again, only to have the living daylights scared out of her as she saw the last thing she expected to be standing there. Dobby.

"Hello, Missy Malfoy," Dobby greeted her.

"Dobby!" Ursa screeched as she dropped her books in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Dobby is only trying to help, but Dobby is also sorry for scaring Missy Malfoy," Dobby replied as he helped Ursa gather her books.

"How many times have I told you to just call me Ursa," she stated.

"Sorry, Master Ursa. Dobby is sorry for making you ashamed," Dobby wailed before he started beating himself.

"No, Dobby. Stop it. You don't have to punish yourself around me," Ursa reassured him.

"Dobby offers many apologies," Dobby said.

"You don't have to," Ursa sighed. "Now, tell me why are you here and why are you interfering with Harry Potter's life?"

"Dobby only wants to protect Harry Potter from the terrible, _terrible _things that are happening at Hogwarts," Dobby replied.

"So, you know what is going on?" Ursa clarified, earning a nod from the elf. "Dobby, please tell me what is happening and what this all means."

"Dobby is afraid that he cannot do that, Master Ursa. The house elf's oath to his master forbids him to do so," Dobby said.

"So, my father knows what this is about then?" Ursa wondered.

"Dobby cannot say. He is only trying to protect Harry Potter but Harry Potter does not wish to listen to Dobby," Dobby replied.

Ursa sighed, "Can you at least point me in the right direction then?"

"Dobby believes that Missy Malfoy can figure this out on her own. But if she wishes to discover the terrible plot that is unfolding, Dobby suggests that she continues her search through Slytherin's family to find the answers that she wants," Dobby answered.

"Wait a minute… have you been _spying _on me?" Ursa scowled.

"Not intentionally, Master Ursa. Dobby has been trying to stop Harry Potter from staying at Hogwarts but then Dobby saw you in the library and didn't know what to do," Dobby replied.

"Listen, Dobby. I'm only going to say this once so listen to me carefully. As a member of your masters family, I am forbidding you from any further contact with Harry Potter. You are not to interfere with his life or his time at Hogwarts anymore," Ursa ordered.

"But then Harry Potter won't be safe. Nobody will be safe!" Dobby wailed.

"Then help me protect Harry Potter, Dobby. I don't want this terrible plot to keep unfolding either so just help me," Ursa insisted.

"Dobby is afraid that he cannot do that, but he will obey Master Ursa's orders as he willingly does his duty to the most ancient and noble House of Malfoy," Dobby proclaimed.

In an instant, Dobby was gone leaving Ursa more frustrated than ever. Unlike the rest of her family, Ursa actually treated Dobby with respect but the house elf definitely infuriated her from time to time, with this being one of those times. Whatever was going on with the Chamber of Secrets was something that Dobby was aware of which could only mean that her father knew what was happening. One thing for sure was that whenever Lucius Malfoy was involved, it was always bad news for everyone else concerned. And Ursa could only dread what that would mean for her.

* * *

**So this chapter gave a little more insight into the Malfoy family. You'll see Ursa's cousins in the story later on, and they're not OC's either ;). As for the Bellatrix mention, since Ursa was born three years before Draco she would've had some contact with her aunt before she got locked up in Azkaban so I just threw that in there. I actually had to do some research for this chapter, like finding out about Isolt Sayre and her connection to Salazar Slytherin, which I found interesting since they both founded schools and shared a familial connection. **


	11. Between the Lines

**Here I am with another update that was only a few short weeks after the last one, so I'd say that's a good time in between. Keep letting me know what you guys think of the story so far.**

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**Between the Lines**

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After her run-in with Dobby in the late hours of the night, Ursa was doing everything she could to figure out what the elf was talking about. It was obvious that her father was up to something and just the thought of him somehow being involved in what was happening made her stomach drop. Her father might have influence, but he doesn't have the most squeaky clean image after his actions in the first Wizarding War. Ursa knew that there were people who doubted her fathers story of being under the Imperious Curse then, and even she doubted if that was the truth.

Discovering the Heir of Slytherin was paramount in discovering what was happening inside the Hogwarts walls. Ursa was splitting her time between studying for her O. , researching the Chamber of Secrets and helping Hermione brew Polyjuice potion in the abandoned girls lavatory. Potions was definitely one of Ursa's skill sets, and she was going to do everything she could to help Hermione find the answers that they need.

"You know, even though you promised me that we wouldn't get caught here, I still worry about getting in trouble," Hermione admitted as they worked together in perfect unison.

"Everyone, including the teachers, know better than to come in here. Nobody wants to deal with Moaning Myrtle," Ursa stated.

"How did she even die?" Hermione wondered.

"I don't actually know. I've tried asking her about it before, but she always throws a fit and refuses to talk about it. I'm not sure if that's just because of who I am or if her death really isn't something that she wants to talk about," Ursa answered.

"I'm glad that I have you here to help me, Ursa. It definitely makes things a lot easier," Hermione smiled.

"Polyjuice potion is certainly one of the most difficult potions to brew. I will admit that I didn't get it quite right the first time I tried making it," Ursa confessed.

"How did you even get away with making Polyjuice potion in your house? Didn't your parents notice you doing anything?" Hermione asked.

"Our manor has it's own potions lab that mostly goes unused. I'm about the only person who ever uses it so it wasn't like me being in there was suspicious," Ursa replied.

"What's your cousin like?" Hermione wondered.

Ursa grinned, "My cousin is hilarious. Her name is Nymphadora, but she despises it and insists on being called by her last name. She's a metamorphagus too so that makes her even better entertainment."

"She's the one with the mother who was disowned, right?" Hermione clarified.

Ursa nodded, "Yes, my Aunt Andromeda. I met her for the first time, you know. It was nice to meet some family members that don't treat me like I'm irrelevant."

"Your parents can't be that bad," Hermione said.

"You don't know the half of it, Minnie," Ursa scoffed. "Draco is their pride and joy. I'm just their wretched little daughter that they ignore all the time. I'm always the last to know anything and it's not like they even tell me anything either."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Hermione asked.

"I'm used to it," Ursa sighed.

Thinking about her family certainly left a bitter taste in Ursa's mouth. She wanted to love them, she truly did, but they made it so difficult to do that sometimes. But Ursa was a Malfoy through and through, and there wasn't anything that could change that.

"You should probably head off now, Harry and Ron should be coming by any moment," Hermione stated.

"Right, I'll do that," Ursa nodded as she got up to leave. "Do you by any chance know where Marcus Flint might be?"

Hermione narrowed her eyebrows, "No, why?"

"I promised him payback for ruining my leg and I think it's time to let him have it," Ursa replied, having told Hermione the truth about her adventures in the Forbidden Forest.

"Have fun with that," Hermione chuckled. "I'm going to have fun at the duelling club later."

"I think I'll pass on that," Ursa muttered.

"Why not? Professor Lockhart will be hosting it!" Hermione grinned.

"That's exactly why," Ursa remarked.

"You really don't like him, don't you?" Hermione commented.

"No, I most certainly do not. I have very little respect for that man who likes to call himself a professor," Ursa said.

"Why? He's incredible!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You'll find out soon enough," Ursa muttered as she headed off while trying her best to put Gilderoy Lockhart as far away from her mind while looking forward to having her fun with Marcus.

And Ursa certainly did. It took her a few hours before Ursa tracked Marcus down and all she had to do was give him one look that made him realise what was about to happen. Ursa had been serious in saying that she'd make him fly laps until his arse bled, something that he seriously hadn't considered.

"I can't believe that you're actually making me do this," Marcus grumbled as they headed towards the Quidditch pitch.

"I'm a woman of my word, Marcus Flint," Ursa smirked.

"This just sounds cruel. Do you even have any idea how long I'm gonna have to spend up there?" Marcus asked.

"Six or eight hours," Ursa shrugged.

Marcus paled, "You know, I'm really starting to think that you should've been a Slytherin."

"What's the problem? I thought that you loved flying," Ursa pointed out.

"Not for six our eight hours with my arse bleeding," he growled.

"Well then, you better start now so that you can get it done and over with," Ursa grinned.

"You really shouldn't enjoy this," Marcus grumbled.

"I didn't enjoy having my leg torn open and being left with an ugly scar. Enjoy your arse bleeding," Ursa taunted.

True to her word, Ursa had sat there in the Quidditch stands and watched for approximately seven hours as Marcus Flint circled the Quidditch pitch nonstop. It wasn't until Ursa had taken pity on him and had grown tired of sitting there that she decided to put an end to this. Punishing herself hadn't been part of the plan and it had become a punishment to just sit there and watch while Marcus flew around on his broom. Needless to say, she'd certainly made him suffer.

"I've never been more relieved to have my feet on the ground," Marcus proclaimed with a grimace.

"You'll be fine," Ursa shrugged.

"I didn't know that you had this side, Malfoy. This cruel and very _Slytherin _side," Marcus said.

"What side did you think I had?" Ursa asked.

Marcus shrugged, "I thought that you were just a jumped up know-it-all Ravenclaw who thinks that she's better than everyone else. You know, a stick in the mud and a total pushover."

Ursa's eyes twitched, "What gave you that impression when you barely know me?"

"Your brother," Marcus replied.

"Now I'm glad that I'm even more glad that I asked those twins to give Draco his karma," Ursa muttered.

"What was that?" Marcus asked.

"Nothing," Ursa replied quickly. "Just so you know, my offer to help you still stands if you change your mind."

Marcus snorted, "I don't change my mind, Malfoy."

"Well, then. It's your choice to fail your N.E.W.T.s, and repeat your seventh year," Ursa stated.

"Why don't you just call them NEWTs like everybody else does?" Marcus asked.

"Because they're called N.E.W.T.s," Ursa replied.

Marcus rolled his eyes, "Oh, you're one of _those _people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ursa crossed her arms.

"Never mind, Malfoy," Marcus said. "And uh, I'm sorry again about ruining your leg."

"It's fine," Ursa sighed. "I lived, didn't I? Anyways, it's late so we should be heading back to our dorms."

"You just had to choose the weekend to do this to me," Marcus snapped.

"Think of it this way, you got some good practise in," Ursa pointed out.

"I already did get some practise in yesterday, and you should've seen your brother. His Quidditch uniform was in a tattered mess but because I felt like it I made him wear it anyways. And you wanna know what the best part is? Somebody had put some itching shit in his clothes and Merlins tit, you should've seen him. It was hilarious and gave the rest of the team a good laugh even though your brother was an annoying mess afterwards," Marcus cackled. "It was obviously one of the Gryffindorks but this'll be the one time I don't mind them messing with our stuff."

Ursa grinned to herself, knowing that this must've been Fred and George's revenge and she certainly gave it the tick of approval. She still cared about her brother so Ursa didn't want him getting hurt and she was glad that his karma had been humiliating for him.

"Consider that a warmup then," Ursa smirked.

"And now my arse is cramping, you bitch," Marcus growled.

"Normally I would be offended if somebody called me that but considering the circumstances, I will admit to being a bitch now," Ursa grinned.

"I hope they cancel all of your precious little exams," Marcus sneered.

"They wouldn't do that," Ursa said. "We need our exams."

"If Potter keeps on petrifying people then they might as well," Marcus stated.

"Potter? What does he have to do with this?" Ursa asked.

"Haven't you heard? He's a parselmouth," Marcus replied.

Ursa's eyes widened, "What? When did this happen?"

"Today in the Duelling Club. Apparently your brother set a snake on Potter so he spoke to it in parseltongue which lead it to some Hufflepuff muggleborn," Marcus answered.

"And you didn't think to share this information sooner?" Ursa exclaimed.

"I was kinda of preparing myself for my imminent doom at your hands," Marcus remarked. "And since when do you care about what Potter does? Don't tell me that you're just as obsessed as your brother."

"I am not obsessed with Harry Potter. You're talking about the wrong Malfoy in that sense," Ursa insisted. "If anyone's obsessed with someone here it's you with Wood."

"I am not!" Marcus exclaimed, causing Ursa to chuckle at the way his voice rose before he coughed and spoke again. "If you're not obsessed with Potter then why do you care?"

"Because I – you know what, none of your business Marcus," Ursa snapped as she left the Quidditch pitch in pursuit of Ravenclaw Tower.

Thoughts of Harry Potter filled her mind, and certainly _not _because she was obsessed with him. What Ursa was concerned with was what this meant for the Chamber of Secrets. If Harry Potter was a parselmouth, did that mean that he could possibly be the Heir of Slytherin?

Ursa had to admit that she hoped that was the case just so that she couldn't be a possibility.

~*•°•*~

In the four years that Ursa had known her friend Tessa, one thing she knew was that her friend was a classic gossip. That always irked her, but it came in handy now with everything that Tessa was saying about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It helped because Ursa hadn't been able to slip away and see Hermione since she had seen her in the bathroom. Based on what she'd heard, word had spread about Harry Potter supposedly sending a snake to attack a Hufflepuff muggleborn named Justin Finch-Fletchley and everyone was now assuming that he was the Heir of Slytherin.

There was so much that Ursa needed to figure out about what was going on for her own peace of mind. It was only a few days later that Ursa was able to get some time with Hermione in the library late at night. They both certainly had a lot of notes to compare if they were to make any progress with their research, especially since Justin Finch-Fletchley had ended up petrified too with Harry caught at the scene of the crime.

"So, word on the street is that Harry Potter is the Heir of Slytherin," Ursa stated once Hermione joined her.

"I suppose that must give you a bit of a breather," Hermione remarked.

"It does," Ursa nodded, "Though I doubt it gives Harry and Ronald a reason to believe that Draco isn't the Heir of Slytherin."

"It doesn't," Hermione chuckled. "They still think that it's the two of you so we're still going ahead with the Polyjuice Potion plan."

"Well, it would do you some good to know that Draco will be staying behind for the holidays while I go home," Ursa said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "That's strange. You're family; you should both be together whether you're here or at your big and fancy manor."

Ursa scoffed, "Even if Draco and I stayed at Hogwarts together it's not like we would speak at all except to exchange the typical formalities."

"So, did you hear about Justin getting petrified?" Hermione asked.

"And Harry being caught at the scene? Yes, I did," Ursa replied. "Dumbledore is going to be implementing new curfew rules now which is only going to make it more difficult for us to meet up like this."

"Which is why it's more important than ever that we figure out what's going on," Hermione said.

"Did Harry tell you anything about Justin's attack?" Ursa wondered.

"Yes, he did actually. It was the same thing as when he first found Mrs Norris. He said that he heard a voice in the walls, saying that it was going to tear and kill. He even heard the same voice when he was in the infirmary before Colin Creevey was brought in. But Ron and I never heard any voices," Hermione answered.

"Was he actually telling the snake to attack Justin?" Ursa enquired.

"Harry said that he was trying to get the snake away from him, but to everyone else it seemed like he was egging it on to attack," Hermione replied.

"I'm sure that Lockhart bravely stepped in to be the dumb hero," Ursa remarked.

"He did, but his attempts to stop the snake only seemed to do more harm. It was Professor Snape that stopped it," Hermione said.

"So, do you still think that Professor Lockhart is all that then after he made Harry's arm boneless and couldn't even stop a snake?" Ursa asked.

"Why do I get the feeling that your dislike of Professor Lockhart is personal?" Hermione wondered and that was when Ursa finally decided to point Hermione in the right direction about Lockhart. She couldn't stand to sit back and watch while Hermione was obsessed with a man that was a flat out fraud.

Ursa sighed, "Hermione, over the holidays I want you to do something for me. Take a closer look at Lockhart's books. Read between the lines and really try looking at his works from an analytical point of view. That's all I ask of you."

"I don't see what the point of doing that is but I have no problems reading his books again," Hermione shrugged.

They continued sharing notes and stories while working together at a good pace. Even though Hermione might be younger than her, Ursa appreciated how her mind could keep up with hers. Not many people could understand as much as Ursa did, and Hermione was one of those few people that could. If there was anyone that Ursa knew she could count on here, it was Hermione. So once Ursa hit a breakthrough, she knew that Hermione would figure it out soon enough.

"Hermione, I think I just figured something out!" she exclaimed.

"Ursa, what are you thinking?" Hermione questioned.

"Hermione, what do all of these attacks have in common?" Ursa asked.

"That the people attacked so far have been muggleborns?" Hermione replied.

Ursa shook her head, "Other than that. Think about what Harry said to you."

"Other than the fact that he has been caught there every time…" Hermione trailed off before her eyes widened in realisation. "The voices!"

"Exactly," Ursa nodded.

"But, what does that prove?" Hermione wondered.

"Think about it, Minnie. Harry is a parselmouth. Only parselmouths can understand snakes. To everyone else a snake would just make hissing noises. But a parselmouth would hear it as if it was any other human," Ursa explained.

Hermione gasped, "Are you suggesting that whatever is behind these attacks is some kind of snake?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," Ursa confirmed. "It makes the most sense since it would explain why nobody apart from Harry has been able to hear anything."

"Well, that doesn't really help since we're dealing with a bloodthirsty snake now. Even if Harry could talk to it, I doubt that the snake would stop its bloodlust for anyone if someone else is setting it loose," Hermione said.

"That's where it gets difficult. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you that being a parselmouth is a very rare gift. It's not something that just anyone can do here," Ursa stated.

"I know, but Harry didn't seem to think so. He knew that he could talk to snakes because he set one loose on his cousin at the zoo once but I don't think he realises that this thing could be a snake," Hermione said.

"You know, I think that Voldemort was a parselmouth," Ursa commented.

"Really?" Hermione's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Ursa nodded. "I heard that he had this pet snake that he always spoke to."

"I think that's strange," Hermione commented.

"What's that?" Ursa wondered.

"Well, there just seems to be a lot of similarities between Harry and Voldemort. It's weird. You know, Harry told me that the Sorting Hat almost put him in Slytherin but he begged it to put him in Gryffindor so that's what it did," Hermione explained.

Ursa snorted, "The Sorting Hat put him in the house noted for it's bravery when Harry wasn't even brave enough to go with the snakes? Ironic, isn't it?"

"It's not that he wasn't brave enough to be in Slytherin, he just didn't want to be in Slytherin," Hermione reasoned.

"I'd say that's one difference between Harry and Voldemort then," Ursa remarked.

"I suppose so," Hermione nodded. "I guess this is where we set our missions straight."

"You need to play into Harry and Ronald's theory about Draco while I need to go home and find out as much as I can to hopefully prove not just mine and Draco's innocence, but Harry's as well," Ursa declared.

"Ursa… if Harry isn't the Heir of Slytherin, then who do you think it is?" Hermione asked.

"Your guess would be as good as mine," Ursa shrugged.

The fact that there was an endless amount of possibilities as to what would be the reason behind this concerned Ursa. Whatever was happening, Ursa knew that she was going to have to put her mind to the test in order to figure it out and stop things before they went too far.

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**More theorising, but they're at least making some progress together. I just love writing moments like these between Hermione and Ursa where they just bounce ideas off of each other and help each other make progress. Also, my doc manager was being annoying and wouldn't let me write NEWTs with the full stops so I put a comma in there to keep it. There's still more to come for the Chamber of Secrets, so stay tuned for that.**


	12. Connecting the Dots

**Well, this is a first with me getting an update out within two weeks. I'm trying to be more consistent with these updates so hopefully I can get more chapters out like this. You can expect a long and detailed authors note at the end of this chapter.**

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**Connecting the Dots**

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When the holidays arrived, Ursa wished Hermione good luck on her Polyjuice mission before she headed home to Malfoy Manor. Even though Draco would be spending the holidays at Hogwarts, Ursa always spent her holidays at home and she could certainly use a visit there to help her investigation on the Chamber of Secrets. Ursa just wanted to find something that proved she had no immediate connection to Salazar Slytherin. Then Ursa would turn her focus to Harry Potter, who the school now largely believed was the Heir of Slytherin.

In typical Malfoy fashion, Ursa was greeted by her mother at the train station before they headed back to Malfoy Manor. The only time that her father had ever been there at the train station for her was when Ursa headed off to Hogwarts for the first time. Every other occasion has just been her mum. It was no surprise to Ursa that Lucius barely acknowledged her presence like he always did when she was around. Her father always spent most of his time holed up in his study, which was going to be difficult for Ursa since that was where she could get the best information from.

So Ursa would be keeping a close eye on her father and keeping her eyes open for any opportunity to slip away and get some information from his study, even if it meant going through the most awkward dinner with her parents. At least when Draco was there he was able to diffuse the tension, but he wasn't there now which left her sitting at an unnecessarily long table with them sitting at opposite ends of it. Now, Ursa hadn't been to any other family dinners before but she was pretty sure that normal families didn't eat like this.

"So, Ursa, how are you finding your prefect duties this year?" her mother asked.

"They are going quite well, Mother. But I am not letting them get in the way of my studies this year," Ursa replied.

"That is good to here. So I can trust that you are remaining focused on your OWLs then?" her mother pressed.

Ursa nodded, "Of course I am. I have every intentions of getting straight O's on my exams and I certainly have no intention of letting anything else get in the way."

Ursa could hear her father grunting at that from his end of the table, "Is there something you would like to say, Father?"

"What of your altercation with Marcus Flint?" Lucius asked.

"What about it?" Ursa inquired.

"Of course your mother informed me of your incident, but Edmund Flint informed me that you had given his son Marcus quite the hard time before getting yourself in trouble," Lucius replied.

Of course her father was blaming her for it. Then again, Ursa had to remind herself that it was the story that she had given to spare Marcus from getting in trouble. But of course, her father had to twist it to make her look like a fool.

"And what point are you trying to make here, Father?" Ursa wondered.

"I am merely saying that you are doing us no favours by getting into quarrels with other pureblood families. I shouldn't have to tell you the importance of maintaining strong ties for when we need them. You should know better than to ostracise yourself from the finer point of society. I do not appreciate you doing even more damage to our reputation with your foolish actions," Lucius stated.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "I've only been home for five minutes and I'm already getting a lecture?"

"Do not think of it as a lecture, but think of it as a reminder. You are lucky that your mother and I have given you as much freedom as we have, even though you don't deserve it. Do not disappoint us," Lucius said.

It took everything in Ursa to bite her tongue and stop herself from giving her father another remark. How dare he have the nerve to say that they have _given _her freedom when through all of her life, Ursa's parents had done nothing but try to shelter her? Ursa has done nothing but work to get their approval and to have half as many opportunities as Draco does. They've given her _nothing_ and it frustrated her to no end that they tried to discredit what she has done for herself.

"What your father means is that you do not want to embarrass yourself in front of any potential suitors," Narcissa stated.

"_Suitors?" _Ursa squawked. "I refuse to allow myself to be sold off like some property."

"We wouldn't be 'selling you off', my dear. Your father and I have every intention of finding you a suitable husband so that you can be looked after," Narcissa argued.

"I don't need looking after," Ursa muttered. She was a perfectly capable witch when it came to defending herself, thank you very much.

"With an attitude like that, you do," Lucius growled.

Ursa sighed, knowing that this conversation with her parents was going to come up at one point or another, "While I understand that arranged marriages are a part of pureblood society, shouldn't I have the right to choose my own suitor? And I have no intentions of getting married before I turn twenty."

Lucius scoffed, "If we let you choose your own suitor you would choose the worst possible person. Knowing you, it wouldn't be a surprise if you choose a damn _Weasley_."

"As if a Weasley would even want to marry me," Ursa remarked, knowing that it would have everything to do with their families tumultuous history instead of her personally.

"She does have a point there, dear," Narcissa agreed. "Our history with that family is too much for there to even be a chance of a union like you speak of."

"Good," Lucius nodded. "I refuse to let any child of mine marry a Weasley. I don't even know what would be worse, you marrying a Weasley or that damn Potter child."

Ursa chuckled, "Don't forget about Draco."

If her fathers face could've turned even redder, it would've at that suggestion, "Are you suggesting that your brother is _gay_?"

"No, but for someone who claims to hate Harry Potter he sure does talk about him a lot, as well as Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. It might be hatred now, but before you know it they could end up having a polyamorous relationship," Ursa remarked.

"You are pushing your luck right now, daughter," Lucius snarled, and if Ursa could smirk right now she would. She loved riling her father up like this.

"I think that this is a conversation that we should continue at another time," Narcissa suggested.

"Draco has informed me that you keep associating with that mudblood Granger girl," Lucius commented, earning a glare from Ursa.

"Yes, I have continued my association with _Hermione_," Ursa replied, even putting an extra emphasis on her name as she said it.

"How dare you continue to associate with that mudblood while prioritising her over your own family. What right did you think you had to reprimand Draco like you did in public?" Lucius growled.

"I was thinking that Draco's actions were inappropriate and that he deserved punishment for his actions. That sort of language is not tolerated at Hogwarts, and as a Ravenclaw Prefect it was my duty inform Draco of his wrongdoing," Ursa argued.

"Of course that behaviour isn't tolerated with that mudblood-loving coot Dumbledore in charge. Didn't I always say that that man was the worst thing that ever happened to Hogwarts? Now look what he's done, brainwashing his students into thinking that those mudbloods should be seen as equals to purebloods," Lucius snarled.

"If the opportunity presents itself, Lucius, you should consider doing something about it, especially with these attacks going on," Narcissa stated.

"You're right, Cissa. This certainly isn't going to look good for the old fool if mudbloods keep getting attacked. Hopefully this time the Heir of Slytherin will be able to finish Slytherins' noble work," Lucius said.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean by 'this time'?"

Lucius grunted, "I just mean that since Slytherin was unable to finish his job while he was there, so hopefully this time his heir will succeed in his mission."

"I know that the Chamber was opened before, father," Ursa said.

"What do you mean?" Lucius asked.

"I overheard some of the teachers talking about it. They were talking about it as if this was something that had happened before," Ursa replied, when in actuality she knew this because of what Hermione had told her.

"Lucius, you know that she would've found out at some point with that brain of hers," Narcissa said.

"Yes, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before and the culprit was caught before being expelled," Lucius confirmed. "And you should know, the last time it opened, a mudblood died. So it should only be a matter of time before one succumbs to the Heir of Slytherin this time."

Ursa's eyes widened at that information. Out of everything that she had found out, this had been the most informative and it didn't even come from a book. The wheels in her mind were already turning, especially since Ursa had an immediate suspicion as to who the student was that died. Of all the Hogwarts ghosts, the only one who's cause of death remained a mystery was Moaning Myrtle. Ursa knew that she had been a student at Hogwarts, given the fact that she wore a tattered Ravenclaw uniform. Ursa had always thought that Myrtle had died in a freak accident, and now it was looking as though it wasn't an accident but instead a direct result of the Chamber of Secrets.

"Well, I think that it's time we conclude this dinner," Narcissa stated.

"Yes, and I think it's time that I take some action in regards to getting Dumbledore removed from Hogwarts. I think I should go and pay the Ministry a visit right now," Lucius proclaimed.

"So, you'll be gone, father?" Ursa clarified.

"That's what I meant by right now, you insolent child," Lucius drawled. "Don't get up to any mischief while I'm gone."

"I won't," Ursa said.

"Good, then I shall be on my way," Lucius stated.

"I'll be in my room if you need me, Ursa," Narcissa said.

"Dually noted, Mother," Ursa nodded.

With both of her parents seemingly out of the way, this gave Ursa the perfect opportunity to do some snooping that would hopefully get her one step closer to solving this mystery. And she knew just where to start looking.

~*•°•*~

One of the many secret rooms in Malfoy Manor was her fathers secret study. It was hidden behind a wall in his library, and Ursa knew that it kept his most secret information. Ursa wasn't even supposed to know about this place, since she'd only found it when she was younger because she and Draco used to always explore the manor. As far as Ursa was aware, there wasn't a single secret room in the Manor that she didn't know about.

Since Ursa didn't think that her father knew that she was aware of the rooms existence, she was going to do her best to go through things without messing anything up so that they could be returned to their original place. Ursa would trust her father to memorise everything in this room, and it wouldn't be a surprise either if he caused an uproar for noticing anything amiss.

"Let's hope that I can find something good in here," Ursa muttered.

The last time that Ursa had been in her fathers study would have to have been almost two years ago when she snuck inside to get some information to help her with a History of Magic assignment. She knew that her father kept a stash of old news articles, and Ursa had every intention of sorting through them in the hopes of finding something useful. Every article seemed to be of importance, but none of them were important enough to warrant Ursa's interest. That was, until after what felt like an eternity of going through articles, she found one that caught her eyes when it mentioned the name Gaunt.

_**Morfin Gaunt sentenced to life in Azkaban for the murder of Muggle family.**_

_This isn't the first time that the heir of the House of Gaunt has been sentenced to Azkaban, but it will be the last. In a unanimous decision by the court, Gaunt was sentenced to life imprisonment at Azkaban for the mass murder of the Riddle family at Little Hangleton. Morfin Gaunt's confession and bragging about the murders of Mary Riddle, Thomas Riddle and Tom Riddle sealed his fate at Azkaban, which is where he will remain for the rest of his life._

_While Gaunt's motives in the murders remains a mystery, it has been speculated that the reason behind this heinous act was a result of the Riddle's family connection to Morfin's sister, Merope. The Gaunt family lived near the Riddles at Little Hangleton, and Morfin Gaunt recounted how his sister had become obsessed with the muggle Tom Riddle, who his sister would later go on to marry. Their marriage caused great controversy in the Wizarding World as a result of Merope Gaunt being a pureblood descendent of the House of Gaunt and her marrying a muggle. There was additional controversy as a result of speculation that Merope had coerced Tom Riddle into marrying her. _

_It is believed that the couple was no longer together, due to other residents saying that Tom Riddle had returned back to Little Hangleton many years ago and that Merope Gaunt hadn't been seen since. Merope's current whereabouts are unknown, but her son is currently in attendance at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Tom Marvolo Riddle Junior recently gained praise for his role in saving the school from a monster that was said to have been a result of the Chamber of Secrets which resulted in the death of muggleborn student, Myrtle Warren._

_Myrtle Warren's death caused the school to receive an intense amount of scrutiny, and it would have been shut down if Tom Riddle Junior had not exposed the culprit, whose identity was concealed to protect them from any threats of harm. Tom Riddle Junior was then awarded with a special honour with his name engraved on a trophy for Special Services to the School. Riddles paternity has not been disclosed until his connection to Morfin Gaunt was discovered, though Riddle has claimed that he was not aware of his parentage as a result of being raised in a muggle orphanage before he attended Hogwarts. _

Everything else in the article consisted of the trial for Morfin Gaunt and mentioned the boy who was supposedly his nephew. This article had been exactly what Ursa was looking for, since it confirmed her suspicion about Myrtle and gave her the identity of the son that Merope was rumoured to have had. There was no doubt in Ursa's mind that Tom Riddle Junior was the son of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Senior. It was the only logical explanation, since Tom Riddle Jr's name was literally the same as Tom Riddle Sr, and the fact that Tom Riddle Jr's middle name was the name of Merope Gaunt's father.

So this had to mean that Slytherins line continued through Merope Gaunt, and quite possibly Tom Riddle Jr. These events dated back fifty years ago, so there was every chance that Tom Riddle could've changed his name and had a grandson by now. This revelation was met with a great deal of relief from Ursa, since it meant that she couldn't be the Heir of Slytherin if his line still existed through Merope Gaunt. It also meant that Harry Potter could be ruled out as well, though it failed to explain how the boy was able to speak parseltongue.

"At least its not me," Ursa muttered.

One thing for sure was that Ursa couldn't wait to relay this information back to Hermione, since she knew that Hermione would find this just as interesting as she did. This would hopefully get them one step closer to solving the mystery about the Chamber of Secrets, and hopefully putting a stop to this before history repeated itself.

* * *

**So this was a very productive chapter for Ursa on her own, but not so much for her with the family. Every time I wrote Morfin it suggested morphine instead, which was my first thought when I saw Morfin's name and I find it ironic considering morphine is a drug and Morfin was ya know, insane. Gotta appreciate J.K. Rowling and her obviousness with names like that. When I wrote it, I wasn't sure how I was gonna go with the article on Morfin Gaunt, but I decided to give Ursa enough clues that should be able to be deduced with common sense. I mean, Merope Gaunt was a pureblood witch who belonged to a well-known pureblood supremacist family so her marrying a muggle would be sure to make some news, and as I pointed out Voldemort's middle name is the same as her father so common sense could be used to figure out who Tom Riddles parents were. **

**My headcannon for this is that Voldemort denied knowing about his parentage because of his upbringing, and that Morfin Gaunt getting imprisoned leaked his parentage to everyone else because surely enough people would remember his sister marrying into the Riddle family. So because Voldemort was a halfblood since his pureblood mother married a muggle, I would imagine that Slytherin back then wouldn't treat him too kindly for that, thus intensifying Voldemort's deep hatred towards muggles. Instead of believing that his mother used a love potion on his father, Voldemort chose to believe that his father abandoned him because he found out his wife was a witch. These feelings towards his father only made him want to use Voldemort as his alias even more so that he'd never be embarrassed by his parentage again. Also, has anyone found any stories where Voldemort discovers how his mother coerced his father into marrying her? I think that would lead to an interesting change of events, so if there are any stories out there like that you can recommend them to me. Anyways, that's just my thoughts so leave your thoughts and theories in the reviews and we'll see how this unfolds with the CoS plotline coming to an end soon.**


	13. Turn for the Worst

**Last chapter got me wondering if there are any Dramione Time-Travel fics out there where Draco and Hermione get sent back in time to Riddles era and Voldemort tries seducing Hermione or whatever and Draco catches feelings so everything gets crazy and whatnot. If there are any fics like that out there, let me know cause I wanna give those a read and if not, I might just write one for myself. Anyways, here we are with another chapter that gets us closer to the conclusion of the CoS plot so I hope you guys enjoy it.**

* * *

**Turn for the Worse**

* * *

Discovering the information about Morfin Gaunt had been a huge help for Ursa. The news article that she had found in her fathers secret office had given her exactly what she needed from her trip home. Now that she was armed with this knowledge, Ursa was more than excited to tell Hermione about what she had discovered. However, Ursa would have to wait on filling Hermione in on her latest discovery since upon returning to Hogwarts, Ursa learned that Hermione had been stuck in the Hospital Wing for majority of the Christmas break. So Ursa had left Hermione a get-well treat with a note attached, saying that she'd need to speak with Hermione as soon as she could.

In the meantime, Ursa had continued doing her research on the Chamber of Secrets in the hopes of finding out who the student was that took the fall when the attack first happened fifty years ago. Ursa had tried talking to Moaning Myrtle about it, but Myrtle had been strangely absent lately. That made moving forward difficult, since Ursa already knew that she was missing more that would help her solve this elusive mystery. It wasn't until the fifth day after Ursa returned that Hermione was able to join her.

"Now, what is it that had you holed up in the Hospital Wing for so long?" Ursa asked.

Hermione grimaced, "Polyjuice potion gone wrong. Instead of mixing in Millicent Bulstrode's hair with my drink, I mixed in _cat _hair."

"So… you turned into a _cat_?" Ursa clarified, almost laughing at the thought.

"Don't laugh! It was a horrible experience. I was coughing up furballs for a week, though Myrtle seemed to enjoy that," Hermione groaned. "But there was some success that came out from it. Harry and Ron's interrogation with your brother was enough to convince them that it isn't either one of you."

"And I have the proof to prove it," Ursa said.

"Even Harry had to admit that their logic was a bit flawed, since they only assumed that it was you and your brother because of the fact that everyone in your family has been Slytherin, until you of course…" Hermione trailed off before her eyes widened. "Wait, you have proof?"

Ursa nodded, "It turns out that my trip home was more than satisfactory. I was able to find an article about Morfin Gaunt, the las known descendent from Salazar Slytherin. It detailed his murder of the Riddle family, but also mentioned his halfblood nephew, Tom Marvolo Riddle. That Tom Riddle had the same name as one of the Riddles that were murdered, and he also had the same middle name as Marvolo Gaunt."

"It could just be a coincidence…" Hermione murmured.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Ursa dismissed. "Besides, the article that I read basically confirmed that Tom Marvolo Riddle was in fact the son of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Senior. The article even said that it was _Moaning Myrtle _who died as a result of the last time that the Chamber of Secrets was opened. It said that the culprit was caught and expelled, but I couldn't find anything that revealed their identity."

Hermione paled, "I know their identity."

"What? How?" Ursa asked.

"It's… Hagrid," Hermione replied.

Ursa's eyes widened, "What! You mean Hagrid, the gamekeeper Hagrid who practically lives at Hogwarts?"

"That's the only Hagrid we know of," Hermione said.

"Wait, how do you know this?" Ursa wondered.

Hermione sighed, "A few nights ago, Harry and Ron went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and they found this diary that belonged to… Tom Marvolo Riddle. Somehow, the diary was able to communicate with Harry and it took him back in time to show how Tom Riddle exposed Hagrid as the one responsible for the attacks."

"But… that's impossible. Hagrid can't be the Heir of Slytherin because…" Ursa's stomach dropped as she realised what this meant. "Because Tom Riddle is the Heir of Slytherin."

"That's what I was hoping for, I mean that Hagrid was innocent. I just couldn't believe that Hagrid would be capable of letting something like that happen, no matter how crazy his creatures might be," Hermione said.

"I wonder how Hagrid managed to stay at Hogwarts then if he was found guilty of practically murdering a student," Ursa wondered.

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know. But this Riddle guy would have to have been a smart character if he was able to frame Hagrid like that."

"Oh, Tom Riddle wasn't just smart. The boy was brilliant, one of the best students to have ever attended Hogwarts," Ursa marvelled. "I managed to find him in one of the yearbooks. You wouldn't believe what he did, other than framing Hagrid, of course. His academia was just incredible. Tom Riddle achieved top marks in every subject he took and was offered countless positions at the Ministry once he graduated Hogwarts."

"What did he end up doing then?" Hermione questioned.

"Nothing, as far as I'm aware," Ursa replied. "I heard that he once asked for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position almost immediately after he graduated, but was turned down by the previous headmaster. I was able to find that he worked at Borgin and Burkes for a few years before he just quit and disappeared. After that, I wasn't able to find out anything about him because it was like he just vanished into thin air."

"Why would a brilliant student like Tom Riddle who practically had the Ministry fawning over him end up working at some place like Borgin and Burkes?" Hermione wondered.

"Not everyone who's brilliant wants to work at the Ministry, Minnie. I mean, look at me. I could end up having any job that I want there with my father's influence but it's certainly not the path that I want for myself. So perhaps Tom Riddle just wasn't interested in a career at the Ministry," Ursa answered.

"True, but it does make me wonder… if Tom Riddle really was the Heir of Slytherin, then how could this possibly be happening now?" Hermione inquired.

"For all we know, Tom Riddle could've found a quiet life for himself somewhere and changed his name. He'd be old enough to be a grandfather by now so for all we know, his heir could be living right under our very noses," Ursa said.

"We need to figure out how to stop this before someone ends up dying like Moaning Myrtle did. If we could just figure out _how _she died…" Hermione trailed off.

Ursa sighed, "I've tried talking to Myrtle, but she has never been quite fond of me in the past. And lately she just seems to be disappearing and reappearing at the most infrequent times which makes it impossible to talk to her."

"So we're basically stuck at square one," Hermione huffed.

"In a way, yes. But at least now we have a much clearer idea as to who the Heir of Slytherin might be," Ursa reasoned.

"You mean who the Heir of Slytherin _used _to be. It can't be Tom Riddle that's causing this now if he's long gone," Hermione said, causing something to ring in Ursa's ears.

"Wait a minute… you said that Harry was able to communicate with Tom Riddle through that diary he found," Ursa pointed out.

"Yes," Hermione nodded.

"Obviously the diary didn't just end up in Myrtle's bathroom out of nowhere," Ursa continued.

"Oh, I completely forgot to tell you!" Hermione exclaimed. "Myrtle told Harry and Ron that someone came in and actually threw the book at her. So somebody else had to have had it before!"

"And if Tom Riddle could communicate with Harry, who's to say that he wasn't communicating with somebody else?" Ursa added as a potentially problematic theory began to form in her mind.

"You're right," Hermione whispered.

"So, if Tom Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago, who's to say that he hasn't come back now with that diary and is having someone else do his dirty work for him?" Ursa theorised.

"That is not a pleasant thought," Hermione muttered. "I have to get that book away from Harry. I have to warn him about who he could be dealing with…"

"No, Hermione. You can't tell Harry," Ursa cut in.

"Why not?" Hermione frowned.

"Because if you warn him about Tom Riddle, you'd have to tell him how you know what you know, and I don't think that Harry is the kind that would take the word of a Malfoy considering he thinks that we're a bunch of evil Death Eaters. Besides, we don't even know what we're dealing with. If you go to Harry without having all of the answers, he could cause a whole new problem. It's best that we keep this between us," Ursa reasoned.

Hermione sighed, "You're right. I won't tell Harry about Tom Riddle. But that doesn't mean that I won't try to protect him from that diary."

"Now that isn't something that I'd advise you against doing," Ursa agreed.

"We'll meet up some other time, maybe we can find out more later," Hermione suggested.

"Why don't we meet up before the next Quidditch match? It'll be more difficult for us to be monitored when everyone will be out and about for it," Ursa said.

Hermione nodded, "We'll do that. Now I have to go warn Harry."

"Be careful about what you say. Don't say anything that'll really warn him," Ursa stated.

Of course Hermione left without giving Ursa a response to that, so Ursa could only hope that Hermione wouldn't blow their operation. Now that Ursa had figured out that Tom Marvolo Riddle was the Heir of Slytherin, it left her with even more questions to answer. That always seemed to be the case whenever Ursa got close to figuring something out, and that frustrated her greatly. But nothing was more frustrating than that nagging feeling when you know something is wrong but can't quite pinpoint what it is, and that's exactly how Ursa felt about Tom Riddle's name. There was just something about it, something that looked familiar. And that familiarity didn't sit well with Ursa, and she sure as hell wanted to figure out why.

~*•°•*~

On the day of the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match, Ursa was already off to the library the moment she could get there. Ursa knew that she wouldn't have much time with Hermione, since the younger girl planned on attending the Quidditch match because of Harry. Along the way, Ursa passed the trophy room, and she couldn't help but gaze the array of trophies and accolades that were there before her. Upon remembering that Tom Riddle had been given an award for special services to the school, Ursa examined the trophies closely until she found what she was looking for.

"He never deserved that," Ursa scowled.

All Ursa could think about was how rotten Tom Riddle was. Based on her findings, it was only logical to assume that he was the true Heir of Slytherin. In that case, Tom Riddle would have to have framed someone else for his wrongdoings fifty years ago and got rewarded for it. Ursa felt bad for Hagrid, knowing that he would've been innocent but framed for a crime that he didn't commit. Hopefully once Ursa exposed him as the true culprit, his trophy would be removed and thrown away like it deserved.

"Has something caught your eyes, Miss Malfoy?"

Of course Dumbledore would find her here. In all her years at Hogwarts, Ursa had come to the conclusion that her headmaster somehow always knew what was going on. It meant that she could never sneak around in peace without worrying about him appearing out of nowhere, which he always had a habit of doing.

"Actually, Professor, there is," Ursa replied. "You've been at Hogwarts for a long time, haven't you?"

Dumbledore smiled fondly, "Ah, yes. I have had the pleasure of spending many years in this great castle that has given me many memories to look back on."

"So, you would've been here the last time that the Chamber of Secrets was opened?" Ursa asked carefully as she looked closely for Dumbledore's reaction.

"How do you know about the last time, Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore inquired; his face unreadable.

"Well, I was doing some research over the Christmas break and I found an article that celebrated Tom Riddle's exposure of the culprit," Ursa replied. Now _that _got a reaction from Dumbledore.

"Yes, I was Transfiguration Professor at the time when the Chamber was last opened," Dumbledore confirmed.

"What was he like?" Ursa wondered. "Tom Riddle, I mean. I've heard that he was brilliant and that he never amounted to much. But you would've known him, so how did this happen?"

"Mr Riddle was certainly a remarkable student, one of the best to have ever attended Hogwarts. There was nothing that Mr Riddle didn't achieve during his time here, whether it be top marks or the most sought after positions by our students. His mind was certainly an enigma," Dumbledore said, and there was no denying the distaste in Dumbledore's voice as he spoke of Tom Riddle.

"Whatever happened to him after he left Hogwarts? Surely he didn't just vanish into thin air," Ursa stated.

"Mr Riddle was always a mystery to me. The boy could've amounted to anything with the countless offers that he received from the Ministry. All I can say is that he chose to live a life of solitary rather than to put his mind to good use," Dumbledore answered. "I haven't even heard the name Tom Riddle in years, so I must ask, Miss Malfoy, what has you asking about him?"

"I just thought that if he was the one who caught the culprit fifty years ago, maybe he would know how to stop it from happening now," Ursa replied.

Dumbledore seemed to have lost that twinkle in his eye, "A word of advice, Miss Malfoy, would be to not lose yourself in matters that do not concern you. I would advise you to leave the Chamber of Secrets to the staff. I can assure you that we will be able to put a stop to this on our own."

"Forgive me, Headmaster, but other than implementing curfews and a babysitting system, you and your staff really haven't done much to prevent this from happening," Ursa stated.

"I can assure you that we are doing the best that we can," Dumbledore insisted as he passed Ursa a small mirror. "Take my advice, Miss Malfoy, and let it go. Enjoy the fresh air instead of spending your time cooped up in the library. Though I must add a word of caution, and I would ask for you to pass that on to Miss Granger. Good day."

If Dumbledore thought that she was going to stop here, then he was sadly mistaken. Ursa was under no doubts that these attacks wouldn't be getting worse by the day if the staff did more to protect their students. And if they weren't going to solve the mystery behind the Chamber of Secrets, then Ursa was going to take it upon herself to do their job for them. Though she wasn't even put off by Dumbledore's mention of Hermione, since it came as no surprise to her that the man who seemed to know everything about what went on at Hogwarts knew that she was hanging around Hermione Granger.

"Bloody Dumbledore, always knowing everything," Ursa muttered as she walked away while shoving the mirror in her pocket. "His little warnings aren't going to stop me."

One defining characteristic that Ursa knew she possessed was the fact that she was stubborn as a rock, and it was going to take more than Dumbledore's cryptic words to stop her. Sometimes the pure stupidity of the Hogwarts staff irked Ursa to no end, since there were countless events that could've been prevented if they had been more competent at their jobs. So Ursa was more than willing to do their jobs for them, which was why she entered the library with renewed vigour after evading her fellow Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater.

"Ah, Ursa. There you are. I was wondering when you were going to show up," Hermione said as she approached her.

"Typically it's me who's waiting on you, yet here you are," Ursa commented as she noticed the stacks of books around Hermione. "I see that you've already gotten a jump start."

Hermione nodded, "I did, because I figured that the first place for us to start now would be to try and figure out what the monster is in the Chamber. Based on what we know, we can only assume that it's a snake, so I pulled out every single book on snakes that I could find. As you can see, we're going to have a lot of researching to do."

"Lucky for you, that's my forte," Ursa chuckled as she sat down with Hermione and pulled out her notes.

"What on earth is that?" Hermione asked, gesturing to her papers.

"These are my notes. You see, Minnie, I am the kind of person that writes my notes in a way that nobody else can understand so it would be useless for other people to try and copy them," Ursa replied.

"Smart. I always have Harry and Ron snooping through my books to get notes and homework off me," Hermione said.

"Speaking of which, how is Harry doing with the diary?" Ursa asked.

"He's basically obsessed with it. I tried telling him that talking to someone that we don't even know in a diary isn't the smartest idea, especially if that person got one of our friends charged with murder. Ron thinks that Riddle is a rotten character because he snitched on Hagrid so it hasn't really interested him," Hermione replied.

"For once I would be inclined to agree with a Weasley," Ursa remarked.

"That's only because we know the truth about Riddle," Hermione said. "And there's something else. The other day, Harry's bedroom had been completely ransacked and the diary was missing."

"Missing?" Ursa repeated. "Do you know who stole it?"

Hermione shook her head, "It just seems strange, doesn't it? Like the fact that someone threw the diary at Myrtle and then stole it from Harry. Whoever had it last obviously wasn't finished with it yet."

"Hopefully we can find out why by finding out more about the monster that lives in the Chamber," Ursa stated as she grabbed the first book and started flipping through it.

What followed was a lengthy study session for over an hour, which saw Ursa get through three of the almost forty books that Hermione had in front of them. This was certainly going to take more time than they had to figure out, and that frustrated Ursa a lot. The fourth book that she was on detailed the basilisk, which was an ancient creature that Ursa had heard of a few times before. However, it didn't seem to have any relation to the Chamber of Secrets since there wasn't anything about petrification in here. All Ursa wanted was some concrete answers, which she wasn't getting. This left Ursa with a great deal of frustration as she started to think out loud, groaning and banging her head on the table.

"Ursa do you need to do that? It's kind of annoying," Hermione said at one point.

"Sorry, this is what happens when my thinking becomes intense," Ursa apologised.

"You groan and bang your head with intense thinking?" Hermione clarified.

"It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's only because my thinking is _really _intense. You should've seen me when I was taking my O.W.L.s. They thought I was having a seizure or something," Ursa commented.

"Have you found anything interesting yet?" Hermione asked.

Ursa shook her head, "No, I'm only up to the basilisk. It's an interesting creature, but not really related to what we're dealing with. It says here that instant death awaits anyone who faces it and so far, nobody has died."

"But, Myrtle died," Hermione pointed out as she picked up the book and began reading it. "And the King of Serpents sounds like something that Salazar Slytherin would breed, especially if it could last for thousands of years."

"Fair point, but Myrtle was was only one death. If we were dealing with a basilisk, everyone who's been petrified should be dead," Ursa argued. "And did you see how big that thing was in the picture? Surely someone would've seen something like that slithering around."

"Well then, maybe it's sneaking around the castle in some other way," Hermione suggested. "Who knows how many secret passageways there are in this school? Whatever this thing is could be hiding anywhere for all we know."

"We have to be thorough with our research, Minnie. We can't leave anything unanswered, like the fact that nobody has died," Ursa stated.

That seemed to be enough to convince Hermione as the other girl continued reading her fifth book. At one point, Ursa ended up going back over her recorded notes, her gaze continuously landing on Tom Marvolo Riddle's name. There was just something about it that didn't sit well with Ursa, something that bothered her. Yet that didn't stop Ursa from repeating his name over and over, with her changing the way she said it each time. Just like with her intense thinking, it didn't take long for Hermione to get annoyed with her repetition of his name.

"Ursa, can you stop repeating his name? I don't see how doing that is being helpful here," Hermione said.

"Sorry, it's just that there's something about his name, something that feels… familiar to me and I can't quite put my finger on it," Ursa replied.

"Well, couldn't you repeat his name in your mind instead of out loud?" Hermione suggested.

"You know, I looked at his trophy in the trophy room. It just made my blood boil that someone like him got rewarded for what we know was his fault. Hagrid didn't deserve to be framed by Tom Marvolo Riddle," Ursa said.

"Maybe we can prove Hagrid's innocence after this?" Hermione offered.

"It would be the right thing to do…" Ursa trailed off. "Dumbledore also showed up, and I asked him about Tom Riddle. I got the distinct feeling that Dumbledore didn't like Tom Riddle at all."

"Did he say anything helpful?" Hermione wondered.

"No, just that he was a brilliant student and that it was a shame that he let his mind go to waste," Ursa replied.

"It was a shame that he framed Hagrid with that mind of his," Hermione muttered.

That was something Ursa could agree with, since it was a definite shame that Hagrid got framed for a crime that he didn't and couldn't have committed. The only person who could've done it was a parselmouth, which left Tom Riddle as the only possible choice. There was also the fact that Voldemort was a parselmouth, but that didn't make sense unless…

_Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom Marvolo Riddle._

"Quill and paper quick! Now!" Ursa hissed urgently.

"Why?" Hermione asked as she gave Ursa a quill and paper to use, only for Ursa to shove her finger in Hermione's face to get her to be quiet.

The first thing that Ursa did was write down Voldemort, followed by Tom Marvolo Riddle. Using the theory that she was slowly beginning to develop, Ursa crossed out every letter in Tom Marvolo Riddle that corresponded with the name Voldemort. Next, Ursa found the letters that spelt 'Lord' since he was mostly referred to as Lord Voldemort, leaving her with only three letters left. What those letters spelt out made Ursa's stomach turn as the pit inside of her only got bigger.

_I am Lord Voldemort._

"Ursa, what's wrong?" Hermione questioned.

"I am Lord Voldemort," Ursa stated.

Hermione's face paled, "You, uh… couldn't have mentioned that sooner?"

"No!" Ursa snapped as she shoved the paper in front of Hermione. "Tom Marvolo Riddle is Lord Voldemort. His name literally spells out I am Lord Voldemort. Coincidence? I think _not_."

"It could be one, though…" Hermione trailed off.

"It's not," Ursa shook her head. "Remember what I said, about Voldemort being a parselmouth, and how his name was supposedly an anagram? Tom Riddle has to be a parselmouth and his name spells out Voldemort. It all fits! I mean, who would actually name their child Voldemort?"

"Someone who has bad taste in names?" Hermione suggested weakly.

Ursa sighed, "Look, Minnie, I know that this might be hard for you to accept but you can't deny the facts. Tom Marvolo Riddle dropped off the face of the world. It makes sense if he was still around as Lord Voldemort."

"This is just… I don't know what to think," Hermione muttered as she started gathering her things. "I have to stop Harry now, Ursa. I have to warn him that he's trusting the man who killed his parents. I can't let him get sucked in by that bloody diary anymore than he already has been."

"Hermione, we might know who we're dealing with here but we still don't know _what _we're dealing with," Ursa reasoned.

"I don't care! I have to stop Harry, and help him save the rest of the school. I'm going to the Quidditch match now to put an end to this," Hermione proclaimed.

"Just… just take this with you," Ursa muttered as she handed Hermione the mirror that she remembered Dumbledore giving her.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"If there's a giant snake slithering around and petrifying people, you need to be on the lookout to protect yourself. Use that mirror to help you," Ursa said.

Hermione nodded, "Thank you. Hopefully the next time we meet, this can all be resolved."

As much as Ursa hoped that would be the case, she knew that it probably wouldn't be. Having Hermione sounding off the alarm about Tom Riddle could cause a whole knew layer of problems, but Ursa knew that Hermione wouldn't stop at nothing to protect Harry. Looking at the pile of books that were in front of her, Ursa resigned herself to going through as many as she could to hopefully get to the bottom of this before it got out of hand.

Seven books and a mighty headache later, Ursa ended up being kicked out of the library by Madam Pince for making a mess with her books, resigning herself to having found nothing. All Ursa had discovered was that Tom Marvolo Riddle was in fact Lord Voldemort, and that was hardly helpful since her main priority had been to discover the identity of the monster that lived in the Chamber of Secrets. Now Ursa's actions on what to do now were limited, but she hoped that some time in the Ravenclaw Common Room would be able to ease her mind.

However, as Ursa was exiting the library, she could've sworn that she heard the slightest slithering noise behind her. Considering the fact that there was a potentially deadly snake on the loose, Ursa instinctively pulled out her wand and headed to where she'd heard the noise, only to be met with several pipes. With no sign of anything else lurking around, Ursa continued walking ahead, until something caught her eyes.

And it wasn't just anything. What caught Ursa's eye was a _hand _hanging over one of the staircases above her. If Ursa's stomach could've dropped anymore, it would've. She instantly ran to the top of the stairs, recoiling at what she had found. Lying petrified on the ground was her fellow Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater. But that wasn't what caught Ursa's sight first. What her eyes landed on was _Hermione's _petrified form with the mirror discarded beside her. Ursa stood there in shock, unable to move or say anything to the point that she might as well have been petrified too.

Then she had the sudden overwhelming urge to vomit.

* * *

**As the title suggests, things have certainly taken a turn for the worse now that Hermione has been petrified after that loooooong chapter. But fear not, by next chapter everything will be resolved and we'll be done with the CoS and moving on to PoA. I hope that you guys liked how I tied everything together here, with Hermione and Ursa getting closer to uncovering the plot and Ursa discovering Tom Riddle's identity as Voldemort. Only she would have the brains to figure out something like that just by looking at his name, and only she would have the brains to figure the rest out.**


	14. Wrapped Up

**Time for the last chapter of the CoS. This years plot turned out longer than I had originally planned it to, but I enjoyed writing it and giving Ursa more of an important role. So I hope that you guys enjoy how I wrap this up as we move onto the next year.**

* * *

**Wrapped Up**

* * *

Discovering Hermione's petrified form had left Ursa shaken to the core. Ursa had barely been able to register what was happening right in front of her when it happened. Instead of calling out for help, Ursa just stood there in shock. It wasn't until Professor McGonagall showed up that Ursa was forced to react as McGonagall started hounding Ursa with questions about what had happened. Hermione and Penelope were then moved to the Hospital Wing, and Ursa knew that the Quidditch match would be cancelled.

Though it wasn't just the Quidditch match that was cancelled, since the entire Quidditch cup was cancelled. Ursa had seen how badly Oliver Wood had protested against this, and she only got one look at Marcus to know that he was just as displeased with this turn of events. But Quidditch being cancelled was the furthest thing from Ursa's mind. After Hermione was petrified, everyone was holed up in their dorms where Professor Flitwick informed them of the new changes to the rules and that if the culprit wasn't caught and the attacks continued, the school would be shut down.

With security around Hogwarts more secure than Ursa had ever seen it, she resigned herself to researching in the Ravenclaw Common Room in an attempt to discover what was going on and how to stop it. Ursa had managed to borrow seven books from the library when Madam Pince threw her out, so with any luck, hopefully one of them would provide Ursa with the answers that she needed.

"What are you doing?" Roger asked her as Ursa searched relentlessly through her books on a Wednesday morning.

"Researching," Ursa replied.

"Well, maybe you should give it a rest. You look like you've barely slept in days," Roger commented.

"Oh, leave her be, Rog. You know what Ursa is like when she's doing her research. The entire world doesn't exist to her apart from her pile of books," Tessa stated.

"Well, we have classes in ten minutes, so we should head off now," Roger suggested.

"No, I'm not finished yet," Ursa said.

"Why are you even researching, anyways? It's not like your studying is gonna pay off. You heard what Professor Flitwick said. If the culprit isn't caught, the school will be closed and at the rate things are going, that's probably what's gonna happen," Tessa said.

"My current research does not concern our academic studies," Ursa stated.

"If this was anyone else, I'd say that it would take you like a month to get through those books, but considering your reading habits, I wouldn't be surprised if you managed to get through them in a week," Tessa commented.

"Well, it will take me considerably longer if I am constantly interrupted by fool statements," Ursa snapped.

"Geez, what's stuck up your butt?" Tessa wondered.

"Nothing," Ursa muttered as she picked up her books. "Let's just get to class."

Being escorted to every class was rather annoying for Ursa, since it meant that she was working on other peoples time instead of her own. On this Wednesday, Ursa had Transfiguration first with McGonagall, who was leading them to their classroom. As her group of fifth years were herded to the Transfiguration classroom, Ursa noticed how all of the girls were scared to walk remotely close to the rails and stayed right in the middle of the corridor.

"What's up with them?" Ursa wondered.

Tess rolled her eyes, "They're all scared of the spiders. I swear, this year we've suddenly gotten an infestation of spiders. They're always out in the corridors these days."

"Yeah, we sure have a lot of spiders," Ursa muttered as she stopped near a trail of spiders.

Something about the way that these spiders were moving bugged Ursa. It just looked so… out of sorts for them. Never before had Ursa seen the spiders move in such a fashion.

"Watcha looking at?" Tessa asked as she peered over Ursa's shoulder.

"The spiders," Ursa replied.

Tessa narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

"It's just weird, isn't it? The way that they're moving," Ursa commented.

"Yeah, it's like they're in such a rush to get away from something. Though I don't see what the spiders could be so scared of," Tessa added.

"Unless…" Ursa trailed off as a realisation hit her.

_I want yeh ter find the Blood-Sucking Bugbears that could be killin me roosters. _

_Spiders flee before it._

"Oh, I'm so stupid," Ursa hissed to herself.

"Huh?" Tessa spluttered.

"If I'm late for Transfiguration, will you cover for me?" Ursa asked as she started heading off in the direction of the library.

"Don't you remember the incident in Second Year? I'm not that good at covering for you!" Tessa called out to her.

The incident in second year was of course referring to the time when Ursa was sick, and despite Tessa's best attempts at getting her to go to the Hospital Wing, Ursa was insistent on attending her classes. Of course when the professors asked Tessa about Ursa's strange behaviour, Tessa somehow lead them to believe that she was terminally ill which resulted in Ursa being held prisoner in the Hospital Wing, and even making a brief visit to St Mungo's before it was deduced that Ursa was only sick with the common cold.

This time, Ursa wasn't sick and the only intention that she had to go to the Hospital Wing was so that she could pass a message onto Harry Potter and Ron Weasley through Hermione. But first, Ursa had to make a quick detour to the library. It had only just dawned on Ursa while she was observing the spiders strange movements that they were practically _fleeing _from something, just like how spiders fled from the Basilisk. Then Ursa remembered how the book on the Basilisk mentioned that the cry of the roosters was fatal to the ancient creature, which made sense given how Hagrid had suspected that the Blood-Sucking Bugbears were responsible for the death of his roosters. If Ursa's suspicion was correct, that would mean that the Heir of Slytherin was responsible for the death of Hagrid's roosters so that the Basilisk could do their task in peace.

But first, Ursa had to somehow get that information across to Hermione's friends who were no doubt trying to figure out what was going on as well. After sneaking into the library, Ursa managed to find the book that she had only just read a few days ago before tearing out the page with the information on the Basilisk. Ursa was kicking herself for having skipped over this detail when the facts were right in front of her. The Basilisk was the King of Serpents, which would be a fitting animal for Salazar Slytherin to breed considering his attachment to snakes. Then there was the fact that the Basilisk could live for thousands of years, which would make sense given that there had been several attacks over different time periods. Everything was beginning to make sense now, except for the fact that nobody had died from the attacks so far, and the fact that surely _somebody _would've had to have seen a giant snake like the Basilisk roaming about.

It wasn't until Ursa remembered the slithering that she had heard before she found Hermione and Penelope's bodies. When Ursa had gone to investigate it, she had been met with nothing but pipes. Hogwarts had an extensive plumbing system, so it would make sense if the Basilisk was using the pipes to get around. And perhaps Myrtle had only died because she looked directly into its eyes, which lead to Ursa realising that Hermione had to have been using the mirror that she gave her, which protected her from the Basilisk's murderous eyes. So perhaps all of the other petrified victims had some sort of technicality too.

Armed with this knowledge, Ursa scrawled down the word 'pipes' at the bottom in the hopes that Hermione's friends would be able to figure out what that meant. But since Ursa had already risked enough just by sneaking into the library now, she would have to pass this message on to Hermione at a later time. Feeling slightly better about the situation and already knowing that she would be late for Transfiguration, Ursa headed back towards the classroom, where she was met with McGonagall's stern glare.

"Ah, the late Miss Malfoy. How nice of you to join us," McGonagall stated.

"My apologies, Professor. I got caught up on the way over," Ursa apologised.

"Is that so?" McGonagall drawled. "Because Miss Hayes was just recounting me the story of how you were chased down by a leprechaun that wanted your money."

Ursa's eyes widened and she shot a glare at Tessa, who was grinning sheepishly. "Oh, yes. Us Malfoy's have a lot of gold that many people would want, including leprechauns. But us Malfoy's also have a lot of influence, which I was you know, able to use to get away from the leprechaun."

"Right," McGonagall rolled her eyes. "But since I was thoroughly entertained by your story and antics, I will not assign you a detention and will only take away ten points from Ravenclaw. Now, take a seat."

"Leprechauns?" Ursa hissed to Tessa as she took a seat.

"It was the first thing that came to my mind!" Tessa argued.

"I need to teach you how to lie," Ursa muttered.

With Transfiguration being the furthest thing on her mind at this point in time, Ursa simply mulled over how this was going to turn out. She honestly didn't have that much hope in Hermione's friends to be able to put a stop to everything on their own, but for everyone's sake she had to hope that it was exactly what they would be able to achieve.

~*•°•*~

Sneaking the message to Hermione hadn't exactly been the easiest task, but it was what she was able to achieve using some of her sneakiness that she had developed over the years. Seeing Hermione petrified again had hit Ursa pretty hard, especially since she partly blamed herself for Hermione being in this position. If Ursa had been with Hermione, perhaps she would have been able to protect her. Nevertheless, there wasn't anything that Ursa could do now except slip the piece of paper into Hermione's hand and hope that the antidote would be able to do its job.

When it was announced that Ginny Weasley had been taken by the monster, Ursa could only hope that Hermione's friends would be able to save her. Though Ursa couldn't help but wonder how Ginny Weasley had even gotten involved with this. It just seemed strange that the Basilisk would target her, a pureblood. Ursa then realised that this all started with Tom Riddle's diary, which was stolen from the Gryffindor dormitory. Since only a Gryffindor would know their password, it would make sense if Ginny had the diary all along and was stealing it back. But how she even got her hands on it was a mystery to Ursa, but she knew that she would find out all the details once Hermione woke up.

The next few days were hectic at Hogwarts. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had ventured into the Chamber of Secrets with an amnesiac Lockhart, who had been exposed as a fraud. That gave Ursa a big sense of satisfaction to know that she had been right all along, though she did feel quite ticked off to realise that she had wasted yet another year in defence. Once again, the Gryffindor boys had been awarded a large amount of House Points that gave their house the win once again, though Ursa did not miss how Ravenclaw had received an additional twenty-five points which put them in second place. Not to mention, the wink that Dumbledore gave her when he announced the results.

The best part about everything though, was seeing Hermione race into the Great Hall where she was reunited with her friends. To see her up and moving again was wonderful, and Ursa could not wait to have the chance to trade stories with her before they left. The worst part in the whole aftermath was when Dumbledore declared that as a school treat, all exams were cancelled.

"What about our O.W.L.s?" Ursa had asked in despair while her classmates had celebrated.

"Sh, don't ruin it for us," Tessa had hissed in response.

Luckily for Ursa, the fifth years were still required to take their O.W.L.s, which saw her spend the remainder of that year holed up in the library. Though it didn't take too long for Hermione to end up joining her in there during one of her study sessions. The moment that Ursa saw Hermione, she was quick to greet her while pulling her into a tight hug.

"You're so lucky that you still get to take your exams," Hermione huffed as she sat down. "Harry and Ron were quite pleased with that announcement, but to me that was the worst thing that could've happened."

"Even worse than being petrified?" Ursa joked.

Hermione nodded, "Even worse. At least when I was petrified, I got to sleep through it. But now, all of my hard work and studying has just gone to waste!"

"What was it like? Being petrified, I mean," Ursa wondered.

"I wouldn't even be able to describe it…" Hermione trailed off. "I'll tell you what happened before I got petrified. I was just heading towards the Quidditch pitch when I bumped into Penelope Clearwater. She offered to escort me there, and I was using the mirror to guide us. Then I saw the Basilisk through the mirror and the moment before I was petrified, I honestly thought I was going to die. Then when I woke up, I just felt so… relieved. I don't know what I experienced during my petrified state."

"I was so shocked when I found you," Ursa whispered. "I just felt so guilty. I just _knew _that I had to figure out what was going on before it got worse. Little did I know, I had already figured out what was going on. I just didn't realise it."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I'd already read that book on the Basilisk but I ruled it out because nobody had died. But when I realised that the spiders were running from something and remembered what I read about the Basilisk, I realised that the answer had been right in front of me," Ursa explained.

"Harry said that he and Ron found a slip of paper about that with me when I was petrified," Hermione stated.

Ursa sighed, "I had to get the message to them somehow, but I couldn't exactly just give it to them. I managed to sneak into the Hospital Wing after hours and slipped the paper into your hard in the hopes that Potter and Weasley would be smarter than I give them credit for, which they ended up being."

"Harry told me everything that happened. You were right about Tom Marvolo Riddle being Voldemort. When Harry found Ginny, he was faced with young Tom Riddle who basically said that he was killing Ginny so that he could return to full strength. Then Harry defeated the Basilisk and saved Ginny," Hermione explained.

"How did Lockhart get involved?" Ursa wondered.

"Apparently he said that he knew what the monster was and how to defeat it. Harry and Ron took him to Myrtle's bathroom where she explained how she died, which revealed where the Chamber of Secrets was. It had been right in her bathroom the entire time. Anyways, they went down there with Lockhart, but he tried using a memory charm on them with Ron's wand like he had used it on all of those people who's accomplishments he plagiarised. Since Ron's wand was defective, it backfired on him so now Lockhart has no memory," Hermione answered.

"So, you found out that he was a fraud, huh?" Ursa commented.

Hermione groaned, "I suspected as much after I gave his works a closer look over the Christmas holidays, but I didn't want to believe it. It wasn't until Harry and Ron left me with no doubts that Lockhart was a fraud that I believed you. I realise now that I acted pretty foolish about the whole thing. I was just too blinded by Lockhart's stupid smile and good looks that I ignored the logic right in front of me. I just didn't want to believe that…"

"Books could be wrong?" Ursa finished.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "For so long, I've always relied on books to provide factually correct information. I know it sounds stupid, but I almost feel betrayed by those stupid books for playing me for a fool."

"Hey, listen, Hermione. Books don't lie, people do. And Lockhart is clearly one heck of a liar," Ursa stated.

"I'm just glad that everything is taken care of now and that Hagrid's name got cleared," Hermione said.

"That's one silver lining in all of this mess," Ursa agreed.

"I just hope that next year, I can make it through the school year without almost dying for once," Hermione remarked.

Ursa chuckled, "This is Hogwarts, Minnie. Strange things always happen around here."

"I'll take strange over deadly," Hermione stated.

"We'll just have to wait and see then, won't we?" Ursa stated.

With another year coming to a close at Hogwarts for Ursa, it only brought her one step closer to graduating. Next year would be her penultimate year of schooling, because after that Ursa would be leaving Hogwarts behind. So no matter how unpredictable her school years might be, Ursa was going to make the most of the time that she had left at Hogwarts.

* * *

**So that's the CoS plot done and now we'll be moving on to the Prisoner of Azkaban. I hope that you guys enjoyed how I incorporated Ursa into the CoS plot. There were just a few little plot holes that I felt like filling in, since surely Dumbledore wasn't able to stop the OWL and NEWT students from taking their exams. Then there's the fact that nobody had noticed the slip of paper in Hermione's hand before Harry and Ron did, so I made it so that Ursa gave it to her once she figured it out. There's still plenty more for Ursa to figure out, but I'll just let that happen one chapter at a time.**


	15. Family Madness

**Now that the Chamber of Secrets plot has been completed for this story, it's time to move on to the Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm really excited about this year. Actually, I'm excited about every year that I have planned but this one in particular gives me good reason to be excited so I hope that you guys enjoy what I have planned.**

* * *

**Family Madness**

* * *

In the aftermath of everything that happened at the end of her fifth year, Ursa was more than ready to go home and relax for the rest of her holidays. Although for Ursa, relaxing generally meant finding a nice book and a quiet spot for herself to read in peace. Ursa was a simple person like that. It was ironic, considering she had all of that money at her disposal and could do anything with it, but Ursa preferred to enjoy the simple things in life. Besides, Ursa only ever used her money when her parents used it for her when they travelled. And Ursa hadn't left the country since before she started Hogwarts.

The only country that Ursa had ever been to was France, and that was to visit her cousins when her father actually allowed her to see them. Things between her father and her aunt were tense, Ursa knew that much. There was a lot about their relationship that Ursa didn't quite understand, but there was enough to help her form her own theories as to why her father disliked his older sister so much.

Throughout the break, Ursa stayed in regular contact with Hermione through their letters. At one point, they had made an agreement for Ursa to try and get away from the Manor for a day so that she could spend it with Hermione in the muggle world. The idea of being with Hermione in her domain was certainly an appealing one to Ursa, since she had spent next to no time in the muggle world. Of course Ursa had read all about it and learned as much as she could in Muggle Studies, but there was nothing quite like having firsthand experience.

So in the last month of her holidays, Ursa was able to slip away from the Manor with permission from her mother. Little did her mother know that her daughter would be stepping foot in the muggle world for the very first time. Even though her parents had tried to drill into her that the muggle world wasn't a place that she wanted to go to, Ursa had always wondered what it would be like to go to a place where magic didn't exist. So according to their arrangement, Ursa had left Diagon Alley through the wall and entered the muggle world for the very first time.

"Well, here I am," Ursa muttered.

"Ursa!" came a yell.

Turning to her left, Ursa saw Hermione heading towards her with a large grin on her face. They had arranged for Ursa to exit Diagon Alley through the wall and for Hermione to be waiting for her on the other side. One thing that wasn't part of the arrangement was a surprise that Ursa had waiting for Hermione.

"So, you didn't have any trouble getting by?" Hermione commented.

"None at all," Ursa replied.

"Excellent," Hermione grinned. "So, what do you have there?"

"Well, do you remember how I told you that my cat was getting fat?" Ursa stated.

Hermione nodded, "I remember you mentioning that in one of your letters."

"Well, as it turns out, my cat wasn't just fat. She was pregnant," Ursa said.

"Really?" Hermione gasped. "So she had kittens? Aw, that's adorable!"

"They were. But unfortunately, my father wouldn't let me keep any of them so we had to give them away," Ursa explained.

Hermione pouted, "Well, that's not fair."

"It certainly wasn't, but I had to sit by and say goodbye to my kittens as they were sold off. I had certainly grown attached to those little buggers by the time they were taken away," Ursa said.

"I could imagine," Hermione remarked.

"However, there was a bit of a problem. My cat had six babies, and she must've cross-bread with one of the kneazles that we have around since the kittens came out part-kneazle," Ursa stated.

"Your kitten certainly got around," Hermione joked.

"She certainly did. So, we were able to find quick homes for them. But there was one kitten that nobody didn't seem to want because he wasn't as… attractive as his brothers and sisters," Ursa continued.

"Aw, that's terrible," Hermione frowned.

"So, I've been trying to find this little guy a home for the past few weeks but nobody seems to want him because he's not your general beautiful cat," Ursa stated.

"Well, if you want, I could take the cat for you," Hermione offered. "I've always wanted a cat, and my parents said that I could get an animal this year."

"I'm glad that you said that, Minnie. Because guess what I have with me now," Ursa grinned.

Hermione's eyes widened as her gaze landed on the box that Ursa was carrying, "Oh my goodness. Is that him? Is he in there? Can I have him now?"

"Well, I did put him in a bit of a magical sleep for the trip over because he is a bit of a rambunctious cat and hard to tame," Ursa replied.

"Didn't your parents notice you leaving with a box?" Hermione wondered.

"My mother is under the impression that I have gone to Diagon Alley to take the cat to the Magical Menagerie and that I will be spending the day there to entertain myself," Ursa answered.

"Well, I will certainly be entertaining you for the day!" Hermione exclaimed as she grabbed hold of Ursa's hand and dragged her off.

Although Ursa had been looking forward to spending time in Hermione's world, she did have to admit that she was a bit apprehensive about this trip since the last thing that Ursa wanted was to get into any sort of trouble that would get her parents involved. The first thing that Hermione did was drag Ursa to the underground subway, which had already confused her since she was under the impression that a subway was a kind of restaurant.

It was certainly a unique experience as they boarded the mechanism and travelled underground. Ursa did have to admit that she was nervous about that part, since as far as she was aware, the ground could just collapse on them and bury them alive. That, and the subway was hardly something that Ursa felt comfortable travelling in. The space was crampy and there was a distinct smell that was just… unpleasant.

"So… this is what a subway is. I didn't realise that it would be this… putrid," Ursa commented as she covered her nose.

"So, you've never travelled in a non-magical way?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, I'm a witch. The only way that I have travelled before is through Floo powder and portkey. We don't use cars or planes," Ursa replied.

"But you said that you visited your cousins in France when you were younger," Hermione pointed out. "I thought that it was unsafe to travel internationally using Floo powder."

"That's what portkeys are for. Sometimes my parents took us through apparition," Ursa said.

"I suppose it is an easier way to travel," Hermione mused.

"Plus, it also limits the kind of pollution that you get with muggle travelling since you can't really do that much damage to the environment travelling the magical way," Ursa added.

"Huh, I guess I never really thought about it that way," Hermione commented.

They continued the rest of their journey chatting about anything and everything, although there was one point when this rather greasy and disgusting looking man came to sit near them so Ursa naturally scooted as far away as possible from him. The whole time, Hermione never gave away what it was that she would be getting Ursa to do while they were in the muggle world together. The prospect of being spotted by someone that she knew certainly crossed Ursa's mind, so she was a bit nervous about getting caught where she certainly wasn't supposed to be.

"Would you stop worrying, Ursa? Nobody that we know should be around here," Hermione said at one point.

"That doesn't do anything to ease my nerves considering I wouldn't put it past my parents to send someone after me," Ursa muttered.

"If someone was following you, then wouldn't they have exposed themselves by now?" Hermione pointed out.

"Not if they were under orders to remain hidden," Ursa said.

"You're just being paranoid," Hermione dismissed her concerns.

That certainly didn't ease Ursa's worries, and she didn't feel particularly safe until they had arrived at Hermione's house. The first thing that Ursa noticed was how it certainly wasn't like what she was used to at the Manor, but then again, she supposed that this was how most muggles lived. Hermione had told Ursa that her parents would be gone for a while and that they would have the house to themselves. Ursa watched as Hermione gleefully opened her cat carrier and the part-kneazle kitten made its way out. The kitten stared at Hermione for a few moments, almost as if it was checking her out. Then the kitten made a move towards Hermione, brushing its head against her hand.

"Aw, he's such a cutie!" Hermione gushed as she adored the cat.

"And, he likes you," Ursa added. "That was part of the problem when it came to finding him a home. People just didn't like him because he wasn't the prettiest of cats, he just didn't seem to warm up to anyone while his brothers and sisters were more friendly."

"Well, I feel honoured to have his approval," Hermione grinned.

"So, what do you do around here?" Ursa asked somewhat uncomfortably.

"Well, I watch TV or sit outside. I could turn it on for you if you'd like," Hermione replied.

"Why not?" Ursa shrugged.

After Hermione turned on the TV, they started entertaining themselves by making use of the board games that Hermione had in her house. Surprisingly, Ursa had heard of most of them but one that instantly caught her attention was the Scrabble board game. What followed was a rather intense game of Scrabble between Hermione and Ursa, with each of them trying to one-up each other with their words. It wasn't until Ursa found her attention grabbed by the TV that she turned her focus away from their game of Scrabble.

"If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of escaped convict Sirius Black, they are encouraged to go straight to the authorities. Remember that this man is dangerous and potentially armed and we recommend approaching him with caution," the news reporter said.

Ursa immediately lost all colour in her face. Unless there was another Sirius Black, this escaped convict was non other than her mothers cousin who had been sentenced to Azkaban twelve years ago.

"Ursa, it's your turn," Hermione stated.

"Oh, right," Ursa mumbled as she made her next move. "Hermione, have you heard of that escaped convict before?"

"I first saw him on the news last night in a breaking story. He's the first escaped convict that I've ever heard of. I wonder what prison he escaped from," Hermione replied.

Ursa sighed, "I do. He escaped from Azkaban."

"but that's our prison!" Hermione gasped.

"It is," Ursa nodded.

"But I thought that Azkaban was inescapable," Hermione pointed out.

"It's supposed to be. But apparently Sirius Black found a loophole," Ursa said.

"Are you sure that he escaped from Azkaban?" Hermione asked.

"Dead sure. I know I'm not mixing him up with anyone else because unless you muggles have your own Sirius Black, that escaped convict is from Azkaban," Ursa insisted. "He's also my first cousin once removed."

Hermione gaped at her, "Really?"

"He's a Black, Hermione. In case it's slipped your mind, I am also a Black. His mother Walburga was my grandfathers sister. She married their second cousin, Orion, and had two children, Sirius and Regulus," Ursa explained.

"But then wouldn't that make their sons their cousins as well?" Hermione pointed out.

"In some way," Ursa replied. "I did tell you that a lot of ancient pureblood families like the Lestranges, the Gaunts and the Blacks resorted to inbreeding in order to keep their bloodline pure."

"That's… disturbing," Hermione commented.

Ursa shrugged, "It was how things worked."

"What did Sirius Black do to get sent to Azkaban?" Hermione wondered.

"A lot of things," Ursa mumbled.

"Like?" Hermione pressed.

"Hermione, I need you to promise me something," Ursa said.

"What?" Hermione narrowed her eyebrows.

"What I am about to tell you, you can't talk to anyone about unless they bring it up. Especially to Harry Potter," Ursa stated.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"You're gonna need a bit of context to this story," Ursa started. "So, you remember how I told you that a part from me, all Blacks have been in Slytherin?"

"Of course," Hermione nodded.

'Well, Sirius Black is also an exception to that tradition. He was sorted into Gryffindor house where he befriended James Potter," Ursa explained.

"Harry's dad," Hermione gasped.

"Yes, Harry Potters father. As you would imagine, Sirius' parents weren't pleased about him being a Gryffindor. I had the displeasure of meeting my great-aunt Walburga when I was young and I can still remember that she was hardly a pleasant woman. At one point, Sirius left his home and his parents disowned him. I think he was sixteen at the time," Ursa said.

"Where did he go?" Hermione asked. "He couldn't have just stayed at Hogwarts."

"He didn't. He went to live with the Potters. Based on what I know, James Potter and Sirius Black were as thick as thieves. They caused quite a lot of trouble at Hogwarts, and I suspect that their behaviour is part of the reason why Severus Snape is so harsh towards Harry," Ursa explained.

"Harry's dad and Snape went to school together?" Hermione clarified.

"They did. James Potter was a Gryffindor, and Snape was a Slytherin so they naturally didn't get alone. But James Potter was I guess what you would call a bit of a bully, so that only made Snape dislike him even more," Ursa replied.

"So Snape only hates Harry because he hates his father? That's just ridiculous. But I suppose it makes sense as to why Snape was harsh on Harry before he had even properly met him," Hermione commented.

"Anyways, because Sirius was so close with the Potters, they had no problem with allowing him to live at their house. At some point, I suppose that James Potter must've become less of a jerk since he became Head Boy and married Lily Evans. Then they had Harry, but were forced to go into hiding once Voldemort discovered the prophecy about Harry," Ursa said.

"That much I know," Hermione interjected.

"What you probably don't know is the fact that the Potters had been protected by a Fidelius charm and they had been given a Secret Keeper. Only the Secret Keeper would know their location," Ursa revealed.

"But obviously they were betrayed…" Hermione trailed off.

"It is believed that Sirius Black was given the job of their Secret Keeper. I can't say that what happens next is for sure, but Sirius Black allegedly betrayed the Potters to Voldemort by revealing their location. I'm sure that you know what happens after that," Ursa said.

"You-Know-Who kills Harry's parents," Hermione murmured.

"Sirius Black is said to have gone on a rampage after that, even going as far to murder one of their best friends, Peter Pettigrew. All that was left of Pettigrew was his finger. And that's not all either. Twelve innocent muggles were caught in the crossfire," Ursa explained.

"That's horrible," Hermione gasped.

"It certainly caused a bit of a mess," Ursa agreed. "After that, Sirius Black went ballistic and confessed to the murders and was thrown into Azkaban without even having a trial."

"He didn't get a trial? Isn't that kind of mandatory?" Hermione pointed out.

Ursa shrugged, "Apparently his confession was enough for the Ministry."

"That's just horrible," Hermione whispered. "Harry would be devastated if he discovered this. How do you even know this?"

"Let's just say that I've heard plenty of conversations that I wasn't supposed to overhear," Ursa answered.

"It's just horrible to think that you could think you know someone, only for them to turn around and betray you like that," Hermione said.

"Mhm," Ursa mumbled.

"Ursa, what are you thinking?" Hermione asked.

Ursa sighed, "Well, I don't think that Black is entirely guilty."

"How could you say that?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Just hear me out, Minnie," Ursa reasoned. "Think about it. Sirius Black and James Potter were the best of friends. Sirius even lived with James after he was _disowned _by his own family. I find it highly unlikely that he would betray his best friend when James Potter would've been the only family he had. And besides, Sirius Black would've been hysterical. Wouldn't you be hysterical if your best friends were just murdered in cold blood? He didn't even get a fair trial either."

"I suppose you do have a point," Hermione agreed. "But if he is innocent, then how come he's spent twelve years in Azkaban? Wouldn't he have said something?"

"I don't know. But I suppose that spending that long in Azkaban is sure to mess with your head. I shudder at the thought of what my Aunt Bellatrix would be like now after spending the same amount of time in there," Ursa said.

"Is it really that horrible there?" Hermione questioned.

"Azkaban is probably the worst place you could ever go to. It's guarded by the Dementors who are truly disgusting creatures. The Dementors Kiss is the worst punishment that you could get. They are truly fowl creatures that are said to be unforgiving when it comes to showing mercy," Ursa replied.

"You said that your Aunt Bellatrix is in there… why?" Hermione wondered.

"Well, after Voldemort first fell, a couple of his followers were rounded up and put in prison. My Aunt Bellatrix was one of those after she, my Uncle Rodolphus and his brother were caught using the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottoms," Ursa explained.

"You wouldn't mean Neville's parents, would you?" Hermione asked.

"I do," Ursa nodded. "They tortured the Longbottoms into insanity and they are now permanent residents at St Mungo's."

"That's horrible," Hermione gasped. "Poor Neville. No wonder he never mentions his parents…"

"I wouldn't mention that around him unless he brings it up. Surprisingly, not that many people know what is exactly wrong with the Longbottoms. People just know that they live at St Mungo's. I only know because my mother knew," Ursa said.

"Was your Aunt Bellatrix always insane?" Hermione enquired.

"Based on what my mother has told me, Bella was always a lot more… unhinged compared to her and Andromeda. Bellatrix had a blatant disregard for authority and was always doing crazy things that got her in trouble with her parents. In some ways, she was much like a Gryffindor. I think that they had hoped that once Bella got married, she'd tone it down a bit but she never stopped. As soon as Voldemort first started to gain more popularity, Bellatrix immediately signed herself up to the cause. She was always a dark type of witch, but working with him has only exploited her darkness and insanity even more," Ursa answered.

"And Azkaban has probably only made it even worse," Hermione added.

"Azkaban certainly isn't a place where you'd want to be. It's said to… change people during their time there," Ursa said. "I'm just glad that she and my Uncle Rodolphus never had any children. The Black and Lestrange families have quite a history of instability and any offspring of them together would be a recipe for disaster."

"Just when I was hoping that maybe this year wouldn't be as crazy as my first two at Hogwarts," Hermione sighed.

"Trust Hogwarts to always bring attention," Ursa remarked before her face turned serious. "Hermione, I'm going to need you to be careful for me."

"Why?" she wondered.

"Because we don't really know where Sirius Blacks allegiance truly is. If he is actually working for Voldemort, there's a good chance that he might try to come after Harry. If he's innocent, he might still try coming to find Harry and that could only bring trouble. This is just a danger that I don't want you getting mixed up with after last year," Ursa said.

"You know just as well as I do that I can't make any promises to that," Hermione stated.

"But please, try for me, at least," Ursa pleaded. "I'd hate to see you get hurt again after last year."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "You blame yourself for me getting petrified."

Ursa sighed, "Can you blame me for that? If I had looked out for you more, you wouldn't have been at risk of getting hurt. If I had just listened to you, you wouldn't have been petrified."

"How could you listening to me have changed anything?" Hermione asked.

"Well, my logic stopped us from solving the mystery sooner. I disregarded the fact that the monster could've been a Basilisk while you argued against me when the clues were right there. If I had just listened to you and given your arguments more thought, we would've solved it sooner and you wouldn't have been petrified," Ursa explained.

"Ursa, you're a Ravenclaw. It's part of your identity to be a logical person. In your mind, there was no way that it could've been a Basilisk," Hermione argued.

"Still, I should've done more to keep you safe," Ursa muttered.

"Well, we wouldn't have been able to figure anything out without each other. Our brains certainly make quite the team," Hermione smiled.

"And it looks like they'll be doing some more work this year," Ursa stated.

With thoughts of what lied ahead of them for the following year, all Ursa could do was hope that she and Hermione would be able to handle them and figure it out together. So as Ursa left Hermione's house with those thoughts on her mind, she could only do her best to prepare herself for what was to come.

* * *

**And so PoA begins. I've got plenty install for this year, with a few changes of my own already planned like how I've done them already with Hermione getting Crookshanks from Ursa instead. This is only just the beginning of what will be another action-packed year for our two girls.**


	16. Stay of Execution

**It's time for Ursa to go back to school where the fun really begins. You can expect a fair few twists and turns to come this year with more changes to come in future years.**

* * *

**Stay of Execution**

* * *

Returning back to Hogwarts for her sixth year wasn't business as usual for Ursa. Most notably, Hogwarts now had the presence of the Dementors who were searching the grounds for Sirius Black. Word had spread like a wildfire about Harry Potter having a rather unpleasant encounter with one on the Hogwarts Express, which was more than enough for Ursa to know that these beasts meant business and would not be showing mercy to anyone.

Just the mere sight of those foul creatures sent shivers down Ursa's spine, and she wasn't the kind of person who reacted like that to anything. How could anyone look at the Dementors and _not _react that way? Ursa had never encountered a Dementor before, so she wouldn't know what her worst memory would be, though she could name a few. Like that time in third year when she was humiliated by her boggart which took the form of her father telling her what a disappointment she was. Of course that had to happen the one time Professor Snape took over their Defence class.

To Ursa's surprise, Hagrid had been appointed as the new Professor of Care of Magical Creatures after Professor Kettleburn retired. Although Ursa knew that Hagrid had a way with creatures, Ursa wasn't entirely sure if she trusted him with that kind of position. As for their new Defence professor, Ursa had never heard of him before. Though from what she had heard, he once attended Hogwarts during the first Wizarding War.

As luck would have it, Ursa ended up having Defence as her first lesson back at Hogwarts. Given her past experience with most Defence professors, Ursa wasn't expecting much from Professor Lupin. To her surprise, he proved to be a competent teacher, the first one that she'd had in that class since her first year. It was refreshing to have a teacher that actually seemed to know what they were doing, and Ursa had hopes that she wouldn't be wasting her time in that class like she seemed to every year.

"For once Defence was my favourite class of the day," Tessa remarked as they left their last class of the first day, which was Potions.

"Professor Lupin actually seems to be a competent teacher," Ursa commented. "I heard that he made the Dementor go away that went after Potter on the train."

Tessa giggled, "The boy can handle You-Know-Who but he can't fend off a Dementor? Some Chosen One he is."

"To be fair, not many thirteen-year-olds would be able to create a powerful Patronus to ward off a Dementor," Ursa pointed out.

"Not many babies can defeat Dark Lords," Tessa argued.

"Good point," Tessa shrugged.

The two girls spent the rest of their walk back to the Ravenclaw Common Room talking about their lessons of the day, which almost resulted in a debate about Divination being considered a valid subject. Ursa wasn't particularly a fan of Divination, since it just seemed a like a ridiculous discipline that she had no time for. Plus, Ursa was under the impression that Professor Trelawney was an outright fraud whereas Tessa was one of those students who idolised the woman. Their debate would have continued if Roger hadn't showed up with them, looking particularly upset about something.

"What's bugging you, Rog?" Tessa asked.

"It's just Qudditch," Roger replied.

"Ugh," Ursa groaned. "Leave me out of this discussion."

"You'll never guess what happened, Tessa," Roger said.

"Just tell me," Tessa stated.

"Marcus Flint got held back," Roger scowled, which caught Ursa's attention.

"I thought he was supposed to graduate last year?" Tessa pointed out.

Roger shook his head, "Well, he was. But you know what people said about him being as dumb as a troll. He failed his NEWTs and now he has to repeat his seventh year."

"Wow. You'd have to be pretty stupid to fail your NEWTs. I heard that he barely passed his OWLs, too," Tessa said.

"He might be stupid, but he's damn good at cheating when it comes to Quidditch. Just when I was thinking that maybe we'd be in with a chance this year without their cheating captain, it turns out he's still here," Roger ranted.

"Well, Slytherin have never really had a good track record of playing a fair game, so I doubt that their cheating methods would have stopped with Flint gone," Ursa reasoned.

"They would've been more manageable without him. You've seen him out there, Tessa. The guy's _vicious. _You know he's sent me to the Hospital Wing at least three times!" Roger exclaimed.

"Well then, you'll just have to learn to be equally vicious," Tessa suggested.

"No way," Roger shook his head. "I'd rather get sent to the Hospital Wing by Flint than face Snape's wrath for injuring one of his precious snakes. You know how much he favours them."

"So does every Head of House," Ursa pointed out. "Snape might be obvious with his favouritism, but at least he doesn't try to hide it. It's clear that Flitwick favours us Ravenclaws while Sprout favours the Hufflepuffs. McGonagall is clearly fond of that little Golden Trio. Merlin, even Dumbledore favours the Gryffindors."

"I'm not sure what I dislike more, the Gryffindors getting all of the attention now because Potter is amongst them, or Slytherin winning everything," Tessa grumbled. "Why can't Ravenclaw get some attention?"

"Hey, you have me," Ursa pointed out.

"True, I guess we are noted for having the first ever Malfoy in our house," Tessa agreed as they approached the Ravenclaw Tower guard.

"The more you take, the more you leave behind," the guard stated.

"Why can't these things ever be easy?" Tessa muttered.

"Footsteps," Ursa answered, and the door swung open to let them in.

"What would I do without you?" Tessa remarked.

"Be locked outside the Common Room as you tried and failed to answer the riddle," Ursa said.

"That's probably right," Tessa agreed.

Unlike the other Common Rooms, the password to Ravenclaw Tower changed every day and over the course of her six years in Ravenclaw, Ursa had never gotten the riddle wrong whereas Tessa had never answered it correctly.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Tessa asked once they entered their dorm.

"I'm going to get my stuff settled for the year and plan my study schedule," Ursa replied.

"Don't you do that beforehand?" Tessa wondered.

"We don't get our subject schedule until we arrive. There's no point in planning my study schedule beforehand if I don't know when my availability is," Ursa said.

"Fair enough," Tessa shrugged. "You wanna look over muggle magazines with me tonight so we can mock their outrageous fashion choices?"

Ursa shook her head, "No can do. I've got my first Prefect patrols tonight. Maybe tomorrow."

Tessa grimaced, "Ugh, I can't believe I ever wanted to be a Prefect. The authority would be nice, but having to put up with Percy Weasley as Head Boy? Not my cup of tea."

"He's not _that _bad," Ursa argued.

"He's a total swot, not to mention, an obnoxious swot," Tessa pointed out.

"Well, you can head off to dinner without me. I think I'll stay up here, but I wouldn't mind it if you brought me back something," Ursa said.

"Alright," Tessa conceded before she eventually left for dinner.

Being the keener that she is, Ursa always prepared a study schedule first thing when she arrived at Hogwarts. Organisation was certainly one of her habits, and Ursa always loved being prepared for anything. If nobody had a plan, she certainly did and Ursa would definitely have her own plan for the year ahead.

~*•°•*~

When the time came, Ursa headed off to take her first Prefect patrol of the year. Her patrol partner was fellow Ravenclaw prefect Marcellus Chopin, who she always met up with before they went their separate ways to patrol the hallways. After their initial greeting, Ursa headed off to perform her duties on her own, though she didn't exactly have just her Prefect duties on her mind.

Of course Ursa was thinking about the lessons that she'd had for the first Thursday back, which were Defence, Charms, Arithmancy and double Transfiguration. Her schedule for her sixth year was pretty packed, since Ursa only had three free spots, with only one during the day and two that were in the evening. Ursa had opted out of taking History of Magic for her sixth year, since Binns was easily her least favourite professor and she found no use of taking the subject anymore. Instead, Ursa dropped it for Ancient Studies, which was one of the possible sixth year electives like Alchemy. She'd wanted to take Alchemy too, but Ursa was apparently the only sixth year who would have been eligible to take it with her grades.

But then Ursa found her mind drifting to Marcus Flint. Despite knowing that he wasn't exactly the brightest student and witnessing his stupidity firsthand, Ursa didn't actually think that he'd end up repeating his seventh year. It gave her an overwhelming sense of dread, and not because she still had a grudge against him or anything. It was because over the summer, her father had increased his insistence on Ursa pursuing a marriage, with Marcus Flint being one of the prime candidates.

"_You should be considering marriage, Ursa. You have just two years left of school. Your mother and I were already betrothed by the time she left Hogwarts."_

"_There are plenty of potential candidates for you at Hogwarts. It doesn't even have to be someone your own age. There's Marcus Flint, for example."_

Just the thought of entering an arranged marriage made Ursa sick, and no matter how hard her father tried, Ursa was going to do whatever she could to resist his attempts at setting her up. If Ursa was going to get married, she wanted it to be for love, not blood purity. And even though Ursa was slightly more tolerable towards Marcus Flint after their first encounter, she would prefer to not have to marry him.

As if fate was reading her mind, Ursa suddenly heard what sounded like spellcasting. There was a lot of rumbling noises and ruckus going on while Ursa could faintly hear someone spitting out incantations. Knowing that it would have to be a student wandering around after hours, Ursa braced herself for whatever she would end up seeing, only to end up finding Marcus Flint in the middle of what looked like a meltdown.

"_Reducto! Reducto! Reducto! Reducto! Reducto! REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO! RE-FUCKING-DUCTO!" _Marcus roared, only to get a less than desired result

Ursa cleared her throat, "Well, aren't you a sight for sorry eyes."

Marcus turned to glare at her, "Bugger off, Malfoy. Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"I thought that you'd be off with some Quidditch league by now," Ursa stated.

"I should be," Marcus scowled. "But I'm sure that you know by now that I was a fucking dumbass and failed my NEWTs so now I have to repeat my fucking seventh year."

"How could you have failed your NEWTs?" Ursa wondered, genuinely curious.

"Because I'm a fucking dumbass!" Marcus snapped. "I didn't pass a _single _class, not even that load of shite Divination or Herbology. Divination is just making shit up and Herbology is just about planting stupid plants. How could I have failed that bullshit?"

"You tell me," Ursa said.

"Don't test me, Malfoy," Marcus snarled.

"So, they're just gonna hold you back?" Ursa asked.

"They already did!" Marcus yelled. "My fucking parents were less than pleased. My father reckons that I'm an embarrassment to the family because I'm a rubbish wizard and shit at everything."

"You're not shit at everything. You're great at Quidditch, and cheating at Quidditch," Ursa argued.

Marcus scoffed, "Like that's doing me any good. My father wants me to get some crap job at the Ministry, since he thinks that Quidditch is just a waste of time. He says that it's a miracle that I'm even good at anything."

"Well, that's something we both have in common," Ursa stated.

"Huh?" Marcus said.

"My father does not support my personal ambitions and wishes me to obtain a job at the Ministry. He's also been pushing the idea of marriage on me, and has even suggesting setting up a few meetings. It might interest you to know that you're one of the few candidates," Ursa explained.

"Marriage? Nah," Marcus grimaced. "No offence, Malfoy, but I'd rather have some lowly job at the Ministry than be married to you."

"Um, none taken," Ursa chuckled. "Besides, I would prefer to marry someone who likes me more than they like Quidditch."

"Like that would ever happen," Marcus remarked, earning a glare from Ursa. "I mean, me loving anything more than Quidditch. Quidditch is everything, and everyone else is nothing."

"You would need to find someone who shares your equally obsessive love for Quidditch," Ursa suggested before someone came to mind. "Like Oliver Wood, for example."

Marcus looked like he was about to explode, "Are you suggesting that I should _shag _Wood?"

"I have heard good things about his physique," Ursa commented. "Not to mention, the sexual tension between you two is always off the charts. Half of the time I don't know if one of you is gonna punch or snog the other. Not to mention, that weird thing you do before every Quidditch game when you try to crush each other's hands as hard as possible. It's like you're trying to hold hands for as long as possible."

"Punch. _Always _punch. The only feelings that I have towards Wood are burning and intense rage as well as the passionate desire to crush him in the Quidditch Cup," Marcus insisted.

"Sure," Ursa scoffed as she sat down next to Marcus. "What do you plan on doing to pass your classes now?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Studying," Marcus grimaced. "I can't believe that I have to waste time studying when I could be focusing on destroying Wood in Quidditch. I should consider myself lucky that Snape didn't revoke my captaincy for being a pathetic Slytherin."

"Well, studying has always been a useful thing for me since it helps me remember everything I need to know so that come exam time, I am not panicking and forgetting everything," Ursa said.

"Well, I never really got the hang of it," Marcus remarked.

"Have you even tried studying before?" Ursa wondered.

"One time, before my OWLs. But I got frustrated and ended up setting my textbooks on fire. It got me good at Incendio," Marcus replied.

"Well, just so you know, my offer to help you from last year still stands, if you want it," Ursa stated.

"I still think that the idea of being tutored by someone two years below me is humiliating," Marcus grumbled.

"Would you rather fail your N.E.W.T.s again and stay at Hogwarts forever?" Ursa asked.

"At least I'd get to play Quidditch forever," Marcus argued. "And for the love of Merlin, call them _NEWTs _like every other normal person does."

"Do you want my help or not?" Ursa asked with her arms crossed. "I can't promise that I'll make you into a genius overnight, but I should be able to help you achieve a passing grade in all of your subjects."

"Fine, I'll accept your help," Marcus snapped.

"Wonderful," Ursa grinned. "I am available Tuesday and Thursday nights and you will be able to find me early in the library almost every day, not to mention on the weekends as well. Though, if we are to make this arrangement official, I do have one condition."

"What?" Marcus groaned.

"You're gonna have to learn to call me by my first name because calling people by their last names is just petty and childish," Ursa stated.

"Fine… Ursa," Marcus muttered. "Your brother certainly doesn't agree with you on that."

"Draco and I disagree more than we agree," Ursa commented.

"You probably disagree with what he's done now then," Marcus remarked.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "What has he done?"

"Apparently, during their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson with that miserable oaf, they were doing Hippogriffs and Potter managed to get a ride from one so your brother naturally wanted to one-up him and insulted the Hippogriff so it attacked him," Marcus explained.

"It attacked Draco?" Ursa gasped.

"You hadn't heard what happened?" Marcus clarified.

Ursa shook her head, "No, I didn't bother going to dinner because I wanted to plan my study schedule. I haven't really spoken to anyone since the end of my last lesson."

"Oh, well the bird just knocked him down and I think he's got a scratch on his arm so he's in the Hospital Wing now," Marcus said.

"No doubt he's going to milk this to his advantage," Ursa muttered.

"Though, it could be advantageous to the Slytherin Quidditch team," Marcus commented.

"How?" Ursa wondered.

"All in good time, _Ursa_," Marcus smirked.

"I'm assuming that is not a smirk for a good reason," Ursa remarked. "Anyways, I better be off to continue the rest of my patrols and _you _should head back to the Slytherin dungeons."

"You're gonna punish me for being out after hours, aren't you?' Marcus muttered.

"I think I'll let this slide because it was for academic purposes," Ursa stated. "But I don't think that Chopin will be so nice if he catches you."

"Noted," Marcus nodded. "Well, I guess this is it until our first spontaneous study session."

"If you don't find me on the weekend, I _will _find you," Ursa insisted.

With an agreement made, Ursa and Marcus went their separate ways as Ursa headed off to continue the rest of her Prefect patrols. Though now she had something else on her mind, because if Draco did get hurt by Hagrid's Hippogriff then Ursa knew that her father or Draco wouldn't rest until some kind of retribution was made, which wasn't a good thought at all.

~*•°•*~

On Friday evening after her first Ancient Studies lesson, Ursa was joined by Hermione in the library. Ursa knew that she'd be able to get the full story of what happened to Draco from Hermione, since although Ursa had gone to the Hospital Wing to visit her brother on Friday morning, Draco had refused to see her. So when Hermione approached her in their regular meeting spot at the library, Ursa was glad to see her.

"Why is it that the first time we see each other in the school year, there is always something to talk about?" Ursa remarked as Hermione approached her.

"I've come to expect nothing else from Hogwarts," Hermione sighed.

"So, what's this about Draco getting on the wrong side of a Hippogriff?" Ursa wondered.

"Well, it was our first Care of Magical Creatures lesson and Hagrid had showed us a Hippogriff. Everyone else was too afraid to face it, so of course Harry ended up being the first to give it ago. As luck would have it, Buckbeak was quite happy to let Harry take him for a ride. But of course your brother wanted to one-up him, only to insult Buckbeak after Hagrid had clearly said not to," Hermione explained.

"Idiot," Ursa muttered.

"So, naturally, Buckbeak attacked your brother and he made a scene like he was gravely injured while Hagrid took him to the Hospital Wing," Hermione finished.

"I know I should probably have more sympathy for my brother, but he was asking for it," Ursa remarked.

"Stuff sympathy when he's going to get Hagrid in trouble," Hermione scowled.

"Well, to be fair, Hagrid shouldn't have started off a lesson with third years on Hippogriffs. I didn't learn about Hippogriffs until last year," Ursa pointed out.

"Hagrid realises that, but he just wanted to have a special first lesson because he felt like he had to impress," Hermione reasoned.

"I'm not even sure if Hagrid was the best choice to take over from Kettleburn. While I completely get that Hagrid was framed which lead to his expulsion, he didn't even complete an education. How can someone who didn't even finish their education be able to teach a class?" Ursa argued.

"Who's side are you on?" Hermione crossed her arms.

"I'm on Buckbeak's side. I'm just pointing out the obvious flaws in Hagrid's lesson plan and credibility," Ursa said.

"Nobody knows creatures like Hagrid does," Hermione protested.

"Which is what will exactly be argued against him. If my father takes this somewhere else – which he probably will – my father will use Hagrid's track record of hoarding dangerous creatures to impugn his credibility. He will argue that Hagrid should have known better than to have a creature like Buckbeak with students in their first Creatures lesson," Ursa explained.

"Do you really think that your father would do that?" Hermione whispered.

"Considering how much my father cares for Draco, he probably will. One time, we were out in Diagon Alley when this worker completely ruined one of my mothers favourite dresses. Naturally, my father ensured that the worker was never able to work another day again and closed down their business," Ursa said.

Hermione gasped, "You seriously think that your father will try to get Hagrid fired?"

"He most likely will," Ursa nodded. "Draco will definitely want to have Hagrid lose his job, so he will try his best to make father achieve that."

"That would be so wrong. Hagrid doesn't deserve to be fired! Ursa, you _have _to do something!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Minnie, you should know by now that my father takes my word like a grain of salt. He won't listen to what I have to argue. He'll listen to the House Elves before he'll listen to me," Ursa said.

"You said it yourself; your father will try to do something to ruin Hagrid's life and hurt Buckbeak as well. You cannot let that happen," Hermione pleaded.

Ursa sighed, "I suppose that I will try my best to reason with my father. However, the chances of him actually listening to me are slim to none, so do not get your hopes up."

"But you'll try?" Hermione clarified.

"I will," Ursa stated.

Despite her promise reassuring Hermione, Ursa doubted that she would be able to fulfill that promise when it came to shove. Because as everyone would know, if you messed with the Malfoy's, then you'd get Lucius Malfoy and he certainly wasn't someone that you'd want to have on your bad side.

* * *

**And so here we have the opening conflict for the PoA, which was to be expected. As if Ursa was ever going to stand by and let her father execute Buckbeak. This is only the beginning of a series of events that will take place over the year. Fun fact: I actually designed a schedule for Ursa to have so that I didn't get confused with her long list of lessons, even though I did end up confusing myself on what day she would've actually started her lessons after coming back.**


	17. Slytherin Tactics

**This chapter is where things are gonna start getting interesting now with the changes that I have planned. In this chapter you'll see Ursa protesting, Ursa matchmaking and Lucius interfering.**

* * *

**Slytherin Tactics**

* * *

Much to Ursa's horror, it didn't take her long to find out what her fathers plans were with Buckbeak. Despite writing to her father and pleading with him to listen to reason on the matter, Ursa got no response from him and instead heard from Draco in the Great Hall that her father planned on having the Hippogriff executed. Just the way that Draco had gleefully spoken about what her father planned to do to an innocent creature made Ursa's skin crawl. How dare Draco mock the animals fate when it was his fault that this was happening?

After Ursa did get a response from her father about Buckbeak, he confirmed her worst fears and said that no matter what she did, he was going to have the creature pay for what it did to Draco. In response, Ursa had tried writing to her mother in an attempt to have her reason with Lucius, but Ursa figured that she should've known better than to try and convince her mother otherwise after Buckbeak had hurt Draco. If there was one thing that anyone knew about Narcissa Malfoy, it was that if you messed with her children, you were messing with her too.

What annoyed Ursa the most was how Draco was milking every bit of his injury. Ursa had seen Draco act like that before whenever he wanted special treatment at home, and he was making it work for him at school too. She hated how people were just letting Draco act the way he was because he clearly wasn't as injured as he was making himself look, though Ursa knew that people did not want to question the seriousness of Draco's injury with the fear of having to deal with Lucius Malfoy. But Ursa was willing to take her father head-on if it meant convincing him not to execute Buckbeak.

"I can't believe that your father wants to have Buckbeak executed. It's just… wrong," Hermione sighed as they sat in the library one night.

"That's my father for you," Ursa muttered.

"I just don't see why this is necessary. Couldn't your father just have Buckbeak removed from Hogwarts and taken to some kind of Hippogriff enclosure? Why does he have to be _executed_?" Hermione said.

"Because, Minnie, if there's one thing that my father loves, it's showing off his power. Power is intimidating, and with the kind of power that my father is displaying, it does not make people want to turn against the Malfoys," Ursa reasoned. "Plus, I'm sure that my father is only resorting to execution because it is what Draco wants. If Draco wanted otherwise, then perhaps my father might have decided to be more merciful, or as merciful as he can get."

"This is all your stupid brothers fault," Hermione scowled. "_He _was the one who insulted Buckbeak after Hagrid told us that Hippogriffs were sensitive creatures. He was asking for a retaliation like that."

"When have you ever known my brother to listen to an authority figure that he doesn't respect? The only teacher that Draco listens to around here is Snape," Ursa said.

"Snape only cares about your brother because he's a Slytherin. I bet you that if Draco was in any other house, Snape wouldn't give him the special treatment like he does," Hermione insisted.

"I think you mean that Snape only cares about Draco because of his connection to our family. Even if Draco was in another house, Snape would still probably give him special treatment," Ursa corrected.

"Whatever," Hermione grumbled. "Did you know that your brother managed to use his injury as a way to get the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match pushed back?"

"No I did not, though it doesn't surprise me to see Draco use his injury to get out of something like that," Ursa replied.

"This whole thing is just too horrible. Ursa, you have to keep trying to get your evil father to change his mind and spare Buckbeak. He doesn't deserve this fate just because your brother is an idiot," Hermione said.

"I know. But Minnie, there's only so much that I can do. Haven't I told you enough just how little my father values my opinion?" Ursa asked.

"Well, then try and use your inner-Slytherin or something. You might be a Ravenclaw, but you do come from a family of Slytherins," Hermione suggested.

"I suppose that you do have a point, and I most certainly am not ignorant to the Slytherin qualities that I do possess," Ursa stated.

"Then please use them to save Buckbeak," Hermione pleaded.

"I mean it when I say that I am trying my best, Minnie. But there is only so much that I will be able to do," Ursa said.

"I know, but you're the only one who will really be able to do anything," Hermione pointed out.

Although Ursa certainly didn't want the pressure of a living creature on her shoulders, she knew that Hermione was right and that if there was anyone who could talk her father around executing Buckbeak, it would be her. But it was definitely going to take a lot of convincing, and this would have to be one of those rare times when Ursa would have to put her Slytherin hat on and use those qualities for good.

~*•°•*~

As well as trying to prepare a defence for Buckbeak, Ursa spent some of her time living up to her promise to tutor Marcus. Ursa certainly wasn't a stranger to tutoring, since up until her sixth year she had tutored first years in every subject. Now that Ursa's schedule was pushing her to the limits, she decided against tutoring first years. Now she was tutoring a seventh year, which might seem strange to some but Ursa had naturally already read ahead of the content so she could help Marcus understand the basics of what he needed to know.

They spent most of their time studying underneath the Quidditch stands, which was certainly unformattable for Ursa since she had caught more than a handful of people doing non-Quidditch related activities under the stairs during her time as a Prefect. Their studying generally consisted of Marcus getting confused with the most simplest things, which irked Ursa to no end. Then somehow Oliver Wood would get thrown into their conversations, and Ursa was beginning to notice how Marcus would make any excuse to talk about Wood. So it really was a challenge for Ursa to get Marcus' head in the in the game.

"Alright, so in order of their placement, list the astrological signs," Ursa ordered.

"Oh fuck," Marcus muttered. "Um, Aries? Tortoise? Geronimo? Don't know and uh, don't care?"

Ursa groaned, "No! The zodiac signs in order are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. We've been over this like ten times!"

"It's not that easy to remember!" Marcus argued.

"I could remember it by the time I was five!" Ursa exclaimed.

"That's easy for you to say when you come from a family that names people after fucking stars," Marcus remarked.

"Alright then, what star am I named after?" Ursa questioned.

"Um… Ursula?" Marcus replied.

"No!" Ursa grumbled. "Your I don't know how many greats-grandmother Ursula Flint is Ursula on her own. She was a Flint who married a Black. I am a Black and my star is _Ursa Minor _and or Ursa Major."

"I didn't realise that Astronomy meant memorising so many stars and patterns," Marcus muttered.

"That's exactly what Astronomy is you dummy!" Ursa snapped.

"Hey, I didn't accept your help so that you could insult me," Marcus growled.

Ursa sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. I've tutored plenty of first years before I've tutored you and they never knew what I was talking about. I'm just taking my frustration out on you and that's not fair."

"What's there to be frustrated about?" Marcus asked. "You're not the one who's clawing their way to graduate."

"I'm frustrated about Draco," Ursa stated.

"What about him?" Marcus wondered.

"This whole Buckbeak situation. The Hippogriff most certainly does not deserve to be executed because my brother is an idiot and I am trying everything I can to talk some sense into my father so that he will spare the poor creature," Ursa explained.

"Your brother has always been a bit of a git," Marcus pointed out. "But hey, I have no problems with using it to my advantage."

"Like getting out of having to play against Wood first?" Ursa pointed out.

"I'm a Slytherin, Malfoy. We're probably the most opportunistic of the four houses. I saw an opportunity to better our chances, so I took it," Marcus said.

"What more of an advantage could you need than the Nimbus 2001s that you gave up your Seeker for just so that Draco would be on the team?" Ursa asked.

"Hey, the deal didn't go down the way that you think it did," Marcus argued.

"Then how?" Ursa crossed her arms.

"Your damn father said that if I didn't let your squirt of a brother play Seeker that he'd get Snape to kick me off the team. Quidditch is all I have so there was no way that I was gonna let that happen. So then I made the deal that I'd let his kid on if he hooked us up with the broomsticks," Marcus explained.

"Using Slytherin tactics to get one-up on Lucius Malfoy? I'm impressed. Maybe there's hope for you yet," Ursa teased.

"Oh, like you've never used your Slytherin side to get something that you want," Marcus snapped.

"That's what I'm trying to do to get my father to quit being an evil monster and spare Buckbeak," Ursa said.

"It's times like this when I can hardly believe that you're actually a Malfoy. All your brother has been talking about in the Common Room since the Hippogriff attacked him is how he can't wait for it to be executed, while you're trying to do everything you can to save it," Marcus remarked.

"It's called doing the right thing, something that Draco was raised to do the exact opposite of," Ursa muttered.

"Yeah, your brother is a pain in the butt," Marcus agreed.

"Hey, don't go acting like you're all innocent too, you meathead," Ursa snapped. "Only an ass sneaks out of having to play against his biggest rival."

"I was presented with an opportunity and I took it," Marcus argued.

"And I'm sure that Wood loved that," Ursa said sarcastically.

Marcus scoffed, "Who cares what Wood thinks? It's about time that something didn't go his way. I mean, he got _Potter_. I just got stuck with your squirt of a brother who can't even stay focused enough to spot the snitch when it's right next to his bloody ear!"

"You did get Nimbus 20001s for it," Ursa reasoned.

"Yeah, only cause your evil father threatened to kick me off the team," Marcus scowled.

"Well, at least my father did that to your face instead of just being a chicken about it," Ursa remarked.

"Hey, I went to Wood and told him myself," Marcus argued.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Really, and how did he react?"

"He was _pissed_. Serves him right. Then he started going off on how I was being unfair and that they weren't prepared for Hufflepuff tactics," Marcus said.

"It _is _unfair," Ursa interjected.

"Anyways, if Gryffindor's team is as good as everyone says it is, then they should be able to handle any house at any given time," Marcus stated.

"Ah, I see," Ursa pursed her lips. "You chickened out because you're scared of losing."

"I am not! Slytherin has won the Quidditch Cup for three years in a row and it is _not _going to end now. I bet you anything that we would've won last year as well if they hadn't bloody cancelled Quidditch," Marcus declared.

"I don't know, their team is said to be the best its been in years," Ursa reasoned.

"Please," Marcus scoffed. "They're nothing without Potter. Don't you remember how they had no Seeker after he murdered Quirrell and they suffered their worst defeat in _years?_ Wood was so freaking depressed after that, I heard he tried to drown himself in the shower. Apparently that's how he handles defeat. Pathetic, really."

"You seem to take great pride in making Oliver lose," Ursa commented thoughtfully.

"Of course I do. He always gives me that damn smirk whenever he blocks my goals and I just love wiping it off his damn face," Marcus proclaimed.

"I don't know, his smirk is pretty attractive. And he's muscular. Who wouldn't want a muscular boyfriend?" Ursa remarked.

"So what? He's still an ass," Marcus said.

"Aha!" Ursa grinned. "You just admitted that you find Wood attractive."

"I did not! That is _not _what I said. Don't twist my words, Malfoy," Marcus glared at her.

Ursa sighed, "Marcus, one of these days you're going to have to put your big boy pants on and face the fact that you're only so competitive with Oliver Wood because he has been your greatest challenger, which you can't help but admire because not many people have been able to take you on like Wood does. You hate the fact that he does it, but for some inexplicable reason it gets you all riled up in a way that makes you want it more. And you don't want to face that fact that maybe somehow you have some twisted feelings for him but don't want to accept them because you've convinced yourself that Wood would never return them."

Marcus just looked like he'd been punched in the face.

"What? You might act like you hate him but you don't. You just hate him cause it's what comes natural. It's like my brother and that Hermione Granger girl. You guys only hate each other because it's what you're supposed to do but if you were given the chance to be friends, you would get along great," Ursa stated.

"Wow, you must be on some crack, Malfoy. I don't know where you got it, but I'd sure as hell like some," Marcus said.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "I'm being serious, but you can choose to live in denial all you want."

"I am _not _in denial. I have no hidden feelings or whatever bullshit you think I have for Wood. I hate him, he hates me. That's it," Marcus snapped as he began to gather his things. "Thanks for the study session."

"Come on, Marcus. I realise that this might be a lot for you to handle but you're better off just accepting the reality than letting it eat you up inside before you end up doing something that you regret like declaring your unadulterated love for Wood on a crowded Quidditch pitch," Ursa argued.

"That would _never _happen because I have no feelings for Wood whatsoever. Any feelings that I have for Wood are what you have invented in that delusional Ravenclaw mind of yours," Marcus growled. "I'm out of here."

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, Marcus," Ursa called out as Marcus left the room, and she was pretty sure that he had given her the finger on his way out.

There was definitely something about Oliver Wood that always seemed to get under Marcus' skin. Ursa might be completely off-based by suggesting that he had some kind of feelings for the Gryffindor, but in Ursa's experience that was more likely the probable cause of Marcus' unnecessary hatred of Oliver Wood. At least thinking about that gave Ursa some time to distract herself from everything that was going on.

But with another tutoring session gone, Ursa's mind went straight back to Buckbeak, because she was equally determined to save the Hippogriff just as she was to help Marcus pass his N.E.W.T.s.

~*•°•*~

The first Hogsmeade trip of the year always brought excitement to the students at Hogwarts. Ursa rarely actually went to Hogsmeade, but for this first trip of the year, she had more than enough reason to go. After trying her best to convince her father to spare Buckbeak, Ursa was just about ready to give up on the matter until her father ordered a meeting at Hogsmeade on the day of their first visit for the year. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to try and talk some sense to her father, Ursa was all-too happy to agree to meet him in one of the private spots at the Three Broomsticks.

So on the weekend before Halloween, Ursa made sure to look her best and planned on giving her father no reason not to take her seriously. While her friends planned on exploring the village, Ursa would be seeing her father in private at the Three Broomsticks. Once she arrived, that was where Ursa headed before the landlady of the establishment, Madam Rosmerta, escorted her to one of the private rooms.

"Your father is in there, Miss Malfoy," Rosmerta said.

"Thank you," Ursa smiled politely before entering the room.

It was a nice and cosy setup, but Ursa could tell that her father was hardly pleased about the setting. But she was certainly eager to find out why he had insisted on meeting her here, so Ursa wasted no time in starting the conversation.

"Hello, Father. You are looking well," Ursa greeted him.

"Let us get down to business, Ursa," Lucius said, gesturing for her to sit down with him.

"Why is it that you insisted on meeting with me in person to discuss whatever it is that you wish to discuss with me?" Ursa wondered.

"Your mother thought that it would be appropriate if we handled this conversation face to face, since you clearly have enough to say if your letters are anything to go by," Lucius replied.

"And what is it that you wish to discuss?" Ursa questioned.

"It has become apparent to your mother and I that you seem to care a great deal about the fate of that wretched Hippogriff that attacked your brother," Lucius stated.

Ursa sucked in a deep breath, "I care because this is a matter of what is right and what is wrong, Father. While I understand the need to assert our dominance in society, I do not believe that ordering the assassination of a creature is the best way to do that. That has the same equivalent of us calling a muggleborn a Mudblood in public, it's not a good look. Surely there must be another way for you to show your power without the risk of besmirching the image that the family has worked so hard to preserve?"

"You are a good speaker, Ursa. Clearly your time in Ravenclaw has honed that skill," Lucius drawled. "And you may have made a few points in your argument."

"I did?" Ursa stammered.

"Yes, you did. I am willing to suspend the Hippogriffs trial and even spare it if you are willing to do something for me," Lucius said. _Here we go._

"And what would that be?" Ursa asked with a sense of dread.

"I want you to have dinner with the Flints over the Christmas holidays," Lucius stated.

"The Flints? As in, Marcus Flints family?" Ursa clarified.

"Yes, them," Lucius nodded.

"Why?" Ursa asked.

Lucius scoffed, "Come now, Ursa. Surely you should be able to figure out why I would want you to meet with them."

Ursa sighed, "You want us to discuss marriage."

"That is correct. You are nearly seventeen, Ursa. It is time that you start seriously considering your future beyond Hogwarts. As I have said, your mother and I were already betrothed by the time she left Hogwarts, so it does not matter if your suitor is older than you," Lucius said.

"But you'll cancel Buckbeak's trial if I agree to this dinner?" Ursa checked.

"It will all have to depend on how the dinner goes. If you keep an open mind and behave yourself, I will take back my orders," Lucius answered.

"If me meeting with the Flints will change your mind, then I guess I'll do it anyways," Ursa conceded.

"Excellent. But remember, Ursa. If that dinner does not go well, I will have that Hippogriff executed and make sure that you are the first to know that you were responsible," Lucius threatened.

"Of course, Father," Ursa just about spat out. _I wouldn't expect any less from you._

"Then we are done here," Lucius declared as he got up to leave before giving Ursa one last look. "But from what Draco tells me, it shouldn't be that hard for you to feign interest in Marcus Flint. I will see you at Christmas, Ursa."

With a frustrated sigh, Ursa gathered her things and left the Three Broomsticks in a hurry. After he impromptu visit with her father, Ursa barely had any interest in entertaining herself with Hogsmeade now that she had to seriously entertain the thought of marriage. Of course her father would find a way to bribe her into doing something for him to change his mind. Ursa should've known better than to think that he'd just change his mind without there being something in it for him. That was always how her father worked his deals, and Ursa had been foolish to think that he would be different with her.

"Bloody meddlesome father," Ursa muttered.

As Ursa left Hogsmeade with a scowl on her face, she couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a stray dog wandering around. Come to think of it, Ursa could've sworn that she'd seen the same dog near Platform and ¾ before her departure for school. The dog had been sitting outside the train station, almost as if it was waiting for someone. Ursa had approached it, but the dog quickly ran away. But surely this couldn't be the same dog? Most dogs looked the same, right?

Nevertheless, Ursa tried approaching the stray dog for what she assumed to be the second time. This time, when the dog noticed her it gave a rather cranky growl before letting out a harsh bark. For a second Ursa thought that the dog was going to come at her, but instead it just turned around and ran off.

"Well, that was rude," Ursa commented. "And strange. This is why I prefer cats."

Deciding to just let it go, Ursa headed back to the carriages to wait for their return back to Hogwarts. One thing that Ursa would not let go was whatever the impending doom that a dinner with the Flints would bring. Regardless of how it ended, Ursa could not see things turning out well for her. But if it meant saving Buckbeak, then she was willing to do whatever she could.

* * *

**So, it seems like Ursa's managed to talk her father around for the time being, though not without any ulterior motives from him. Ursa also seems to have met a familiar stray, which may or may not come up again. And what's this? Ursa playing matchmaker? But first, we'll just have to see how her dinner with the Flint family goes and if she'll be able to hold it together for one night to save Buckbeak.**


	18. Hidden Secrets

**Time for some Malfoy family secrets to spice things up and of course, Marcus Flint making an arse out of himself. It's gonna be a doozy.**

* * *

**Hidden Secrets**

* * *

In the lead up to the Christmas holidays, Ursa was preparing herself for the unavoidable dinner with the Flints. If her parents had to try and hook her up with someone, she was at least glad that it was someone she knew. Though Ursa knew that nothing would ever become of her and Marcus Flint, even if they were to be together under genuine circumstances. They were just too different, and Ursa could only put up with his denial and idiocy for too long. She saw herself being with someone that was her equal, not someone who would have better chemistry with a broomstick than her.

Of course Ursa had told Hermione about her potential to save Buckbeak, though Ursa did not tell Hermione what she would be required to do. Hermione would probably try to talk her out of doing it, but since it was just a dinner, Ursa was willing to sacrifice her sanity for one night if it meant sparing Buckbeak. Hermione had also told her some surprisingly new information about the story of Sirius Black. According to Minister Fudge, Sirius had been the Potters Secret Keeper when they went into hiding and betrayed them to Voldemort. The whole thing in general didn't make any sense, since to Ursa she had always been told that Sirius was a traitor to his family, not the Potters.

"It just doesn't make sense to what I know about Sirius. He was disowned by his mother for merely associating with the Potters, and she even burned my great-uncle Alphard off the Black family tree just for giving Sirius money after she disowned him," Ursa argued.

"Well, maybe he wanted to redeem himself to his family and what better way to do that then to become You-Know-Who's right-hand man and deliver the Potters to him on a silver platter?" Hermione suggested.

"Maybe," Ursa pursed her lips. "But based on what I know about my first cousin once removed, he would've never betrayed the Potters. Something just isn't adding up."

"Ursa, I know that you like to look for an explanation in everything like I do, but the facts are right in front of us. Black had been posing as a double agent and turned on the Potters. There's nothing more that needs to be said," Hermione said.

"Oh yeah? What about Peter Pettigrew? Sirius supposedly killed him, yet all they could find was his finger. That's not enough evidence to say that he's _dead_. A person can live without just one extra appendage," Ursa insisted.

"Well, I guess we'll never know what really happened because I doubt that Black will ever tell anyone. Even though the Dementors apparently don't have an effect on him, he's said to be mad. Twelve years in Azkaban is sure to mess someone up," Hermione commented.

The thought of Azkaban sent shivers down Ursa's spine, since that was where her Aunt Bellatrix now resided for her crimes against the Longbottoms. Bellatrix was already mad before she was imprisoned, and Ursa hated to think about what her deranged aunt would be like now. She'd probably be even more frightening.

But Ursa couldn't spare her mental Aunt that many thoughts, since she had bigger things to worry about, like her dinner with the Flints. She didn't see Marcus again until a few nights before they were scheduled to leave for the Christmas holidays, which was when she brought up their impending family dinner.

"So, are you aware that you'll be coming over to the manor during the Christmas holidays with your family?" Ursa asked.

"No, why?" Marcus replied.

"Because, I agreed to have dinner with you and your family on the grounds that my father spares Buckbeak from execution," Ursa explained.

Marcus snorted, "You'd risk signing your soul over just to save some bird?"

"It's just a _dinner _and Buckbeak is a Hippogriff, not just a _bird_," Ursa pointed out.

"Well, you'll certainly be in for a night of ridicule if my parents are involved," Marcus remarked.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "I don't think that I've ever met your parents before."

"You'd be lucky if you didn't. My fathers just an ass, but my mother is a real piece of work. Nothing ever satisfies her so I guarantee that she'll probably hate you," Marcus said.

"I think I can handle one judgemental pureblood parent considering the fact that I live with _two _of them," Ursa commented.

Marcus scoffed, "Please, my mother will make both of your parents seem tame."

Despite having been surrounded by purebloods her entire life, there were only a few of the elite families that Ursa could remember meeting, like most of the pureblood families in Draco's year. As the saying goes, all pureblood family's are related somehow and the Flints were no exception. Marcus' parents, Laverne and Edmund Flint were actually second cousins, as one-half of their great-grandparents were Vorena and Rufinus Flint respectively, with them also sharing Ursula Flint as a sister. Ursa was no stranger to inbreeding, since the House of Black was infamous for doing so with Walburga and Orion Black being a prime example of that.

"So, have you started having any fantasies of shoving Wood into a broom closet and doing Merlin knows what with him?" Ursa asked in an attempt to change the subject.

Marcus glared at her, "The only fantasies that I have of Wood are me shoving him into a closet and beating the shit out of him."

"I can tell you're lying," Ursa said in a sing-song voice with a small chuckle.

"I am not!" Marcus exclaimed.

"When people lie, they have a tell-tale sign that gives them away, like where you look or fiddling with your hands or something," Ursa stated.

"What's mine then?" Marcus crossed his arms.

"It was hard to tell, at first. But the more I asked you if you'd studied the material before our sessions and you said no when I knew you were lying, the more I realised that your Adam's apple bobs up and down when you lie, like now," Ursa explained.

"Well, you're wrong. And delusional," Marcus growled.

"You're doing it again," Ursa remarked.

"Will you just shut up about me and Wood?" Marcus hissed.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Ursa asked.

"Because it's ridiculous. And could you do me a favour and _not _bring that up when we have our eventual dinner with your parents? Cause if my parents even suspect that I don't want to find a pureblood heiress, they'll skin me alive," Marcus said.

"So, you aren't straight?" Ursa clarified.

"Ursa," Marcus snarled.

"Wow, you're using my first name. You must be seriously pissed then," she chuckled. "But fine, I won't bring it up. Are your parents really that stingy about you getting married?"

"They're stingy about marriage in general. I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that they're second cousins or what, even though I don't think that they even knew they were related when they first got betrothed. They cracked the shits when my sister married an American wizard instead of a British one. The fact that he was pureblood didn't even matter, they only cared about the fact that he was American and not British," Marcus explained.

"How is your sister these days?" Ursa wondered, referring to his older sister, Victoria Flint, who was eight years older than him. Ursa didn't hear much about the older Flint sibling like she did when it came to other pureblood families since Victoria kept her name out of the news.

Marcus shrugged, "Like I would know. She moved to America with her husband after she got married two years ago and I haven't seen her since. That pissed my parents off even more, since I think they expected her to take after them in the Ministry cause they know I don't want anything to do with that place. I also think that part of the reason why I don't see Victoria anymore is because of our parents."

"Doesn't that make you sad? Weren't you and her close at all growing up?" Ursa wondered.

"Well, yeah. We were close when she was still at Hogwarts. But then she left to go travelling after school and then I started school as well so we didn't have time for each other anymore," Marcus replied.

Hearing about Marcus' relationship with his older sister, Ursa couldn't help but think about her own relationship with Draco. They had been close growing up, but the older Draco got, the more her father turned him away from her. Ursa was convinced that the only reason they grew apart was because her father got into his ears about how she was a bad influence for him. She wished that her and Draco were still close, and Ursa wasn't sure if they would ever be able to be as close as they had once been.

"Let's just finish what we came here to do and be done with it," Marcus grumbled.

Ursa was all-too happy to agree with Marcus on that and continue their session. She didn't like thinking about things that made her depressed, and thinking about her strained relationship with her family definitely made her feel depressed. But with Marcus' warning about his family in her mind, Ursa found herself dreading their impending dear meeting and could only hope that she'd be able to make it through without pulling her hair out.

~*•°•*~

The Christmas holidays soon arrived, and Ursa found herself heading home once again. Draco had also came home with her, though he would be spending time at Theodore Notts house while the Flint family came over. On the dreaded day, Ursa found herself getting ready from the crack of dawn. She knew how important it was to make a good impression for her father, so she couldn't afford to make any slipups. Ursa also took the time to find out more about the Flint family, and everything she did find only reinforced Marcus' statement about his mother. Laverne Flint was said to be an almost insufferable woman with her husband barely being any better.

As the time of the dinner grew closer, Ursa found herself getting more restless. She just wanted to get it done and over with so that she could save Buckbeak. Ursa resorted to pacing around the Manor in an attempt to ease her nerves. She would not let her nerves get the better of her and ruin this important night. Not when Buckbeak's fate was on the line. Though her pacing was cut short when she heard the hushed voices of her parents in her father's study.

"I just do not think that it is safe for us to let our children stay at Hogwarts, Lucius. Not when Sirius is out there," her mothers concerned voice caught Ursa's attention.

Her father snorted, "You know just as well as I do that Black is no threat to them."

"What if he tries getting to Potter through them? You said it yourself; Sirius could go after Potter. It may have been years since I last saw him, but I just know that my cousin is a desperate man and there's no telling what he'll do to get what he wants," her mother said.

"Draco would know better than to go off asking for trouble with Black, though I can't say the same for our daughter," Lucius stated, and Ursa certainly didn't miss the distaste in his voice when he referred to her. That was nothing new.

"If Sirius is to find Ursa, he could manipulate her. You know just as well as I do that when our daughter cares for something, she won't let it go. Look at how passionate she is about the Hippogriff," Narcissa argued.

"Our daughter is passionate. If only she could be passionate about things other than protesting for muggle and Hippogriff rights," Lucius spat.

"I would just feel a lot more at ease if I knew that Ursa wouldn't want to associate with Sirius. I know my daughter, Lucius. She won't stand for any injustice and she would see what happened to Sirius as one of the greatest injustices of all," Narcissa proclaimed.

"What happened to your disgraced cousin is hardly an injustice, Cissa. The way I see it, Black got what was coming to him for being a blood-traitor. I remember how he acted with that Potter brat when we were still at Hogwarts with them. Even as first-years they walked around acting as if they owned the place. And from what Severus has told me, those actions never changed," Lucius said.

"Yes, they were certainly dislikeable. I can still remember the Howler that Sirius got from Walburga after he was sorted into Gryffindor," Narcissa recalled.

"Your foolish cousin relished in being a troublemaker. If Black wasn't so loyal to the Potters, it would almost be believable that he would betray them. If the Ministry wasn't so corrupt, they would've actually bothered to have done more of an investigation on the attack to discover the truth. Yet they were all-too willing to lock Black up into Azkaban without a doubt, when there should have been plenty of doubts. We should consider ourselves lucky that they did, because if they had actually done their jobs, they would have discovered the truth," Lucius stated.

"It helped that Sirius also confessed to betraying the Potters, which I will never understand why he did since it's not like he actually did betray them," Narcissa said.

Ursa instantly slapped a hand over her mouth to quieten the inevitable gasp that would come out at that revelation. She immediately wanted to burst into that room and demand that her parents tell her what they knew, but Ursa opted to keep quiet and listen to the rest of their conversation.

"Black probably felt responsible for their deaths since after all, he was the reason that they changed their Secret Keeper. It was just luck that Pettigrew was true to his form as a rat and betrayed them to the Dark Lord. If only Pettigrew would show himself again. I know that he's hiding out there somewhere when he shouldn't have to," Lucius revealed.

"Given the fact that Sirius has escaped from Azkaban, Pettigrew would probably be worried that Sirius would come after him so he'd have every reason to hide now. I wouldn't put it past my cousin to do that," Narcissa commented.

"Why don't we continue this conversation another time, Cissa? We should be preparing for our dinner with the Flints," Lucius suggested.

"I still can't believe that you actually got our headstrong daughter to agree to that. Oh, and I may have let it slip my mind, but Laverne Flint just sent a letter telling us to expect an early arrival from Marcus," Narcissa said.

"Of course. We should get ourselves ready as well," Lucius stated.

Realising that she'd need to make a move for it, Ursa forced herself to walk away from her fathers office even though there was so much that she wanted to say to him. Like how on earth is Peter Pettigrew supposed to be alive? Why was it believed that Sirius Black was the traitor if it was apparently Pettigrew? How could any of this make any sense? But more importantly, why did her father just sit by and let a supposedly innocent man rot in Azkaban for twelve years?

Of course Ursa knew the answer to that, but it still made her blood boil. If Sirius Black was innocent after all, that would be a severe miscarriage of justice. Her father was right. She would not stand for any injustice, especially one like this.

"Wait until Minnie gets a load of this," Ursa muttered.

Needing some fresh air, Ursa left the Manor to walk around the front grounds that were protected by the many wards and gates. Only a Malfoy was able to bring down the wards, so Ursa was free to roam as she pleased. That was, until she heard a loud commotion near the front of the main gate that sounded like someone apparating onto the grounds.

"Who is there? Show yourselves," Ursa demanded as she gripped tightly onto her wand in case it was necessary to use it.

"Calm your tits, Malfoy. It's only me," came the slurred reply.

Lowering her guard, Ursa approached the front gates, only to be surprised by the sudden appearance of one Marcus Flint. Only he looked absolutely dreadful, and by dreadful, she meant _wasted_. Ursa suddenly remembered how her mother had mentioned him showing up early in the conversation that she had just eavesdropped on, though she didn't say that he'd be showing up looking like a mess.

"Marcus?" Ursa squawked. "What in Merlins name do you think you're doing showing up here like this?"

"N-need to speak w-with you," Marcus slurred.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Ursa stated.

"Wasted," Marcus grinned.

"That's nothing to be proud of, you buffoon!" Ursa exclaimed. "In case it slipped your mind, we have a dinner with our parents in less than _two _hours and there is no way that you are going to be able to make it through it like this. What were you thinking? Oh, that's right. You probably _weren't _thinking at all."

"Hey, I didn't come here so that you could badger me like my parents!" Marcus growled.

A look of understanding morphed onto Ursa's face. "You got drunk because of your parents?"

"Yeah. They were being annoying as fuck and I couldn't stand to be around them anymore, so I left saying that I was gonna come here early," Marcus replied.

"How are you even standing, let alone talking properly with the way you look?" Ursa asked.

"I can hold my liquor well," Marcus answered.

"And you somehow managed to get away from your parents looking like this?" Ursa stated.

"I was sober when I left. Went to some muggle bar. They've got better alcohol, you know. Then I apparated here," Marcus replied as he fell forward, just barely clinging onto the gate to keep himself up.

"You _what_?" Ursa screeched. "And here I thought that your stupidity couldn't amaze me anymore than it already has. What were you thinking, apparating like this? You could've gotten yourself splinched, you moron!"

"See, this is why I could never be married to you," Marcus remarked. "Just let me in, Malfoy, before I puke up my guts cause I can feel it coming."

"Fine, I'll bring down the wards," Ursa muttered.

The moment she did that, Marcus just about collapsed on top of her, though Ursa forcefully shoved him off her in retaliation. He was a lot more of a drunken mess up close, and Ursa dreaded the thought of how this dinner would go if he walked into the room looking like this. She most certainly didn't miss it when he slobbered all over her shoulder.

"Srry. Got some slobber on you…" Marcus slurred.

"Keep it to yourself," Ursa muttered as she internally thought: _kill me now_.

With a half-drunk lug dragging her down and with the same half-drunk lug expected to show up for dinner in a presentable fashion, Ursa was now dreading this dinner more than ever. And with the thoughts of what she had learned from her parents revealing conversation about Sirius Black still on her mind, getting through this dreaded dinner was the last thing on Ursa's mind. Just when she thought she might've caught a break in all this mess, there was more to it than she realised.

* * *

**Well, this chapter certainly didn't go as planned, because I had fully intended to include the dinner in it but then I figured that the dinner would've made the chapter too long. So, Ursa now knows the truth about Sirius, but just what will she do with it? And now she's got a drunk Marcus Flint to deal with, which is sure to put a damper on things. Speaking of the Flints, I actually went all extra on the background for this chapter and created my own Flint family tree going as far back to Josephina Flint once I decided to make Marcus' parents second cousins. It was a whole lot of work that took me all night to do, but I feel quite chuffed that I was able to create my own elaborate family tree for this.**


	19. Manners be Damned

**Now I'm glad that I let the dinner happen in a different chapter, since these chapters together would've been about 8k words and I'm trying this new thing where I don't make chapters too long. Though now I've gotta change up a bit of my planning, since the story is already looking as though it's gonna be about seventy chapters. What fun, though I am considering splitting it into two parts.**

* * *

**Manners be Damned**

* * *

Dealing with a drunk Marcus Flint was the last thing that Ursa had wanted to deal with. Ursa had never really dealt with a drunk person before, so she was at a bit of a loss as to what she was supposed to do. First things first, Ursa knew that she had to get Marcus somewhere inside without being caught by her parents. There had been a brief moment when her mother caught them, though she barely got a glimpse of Marcus in his drunken state. Before she got to her room though, Ursa was able to make a request to her house elf to retrieve a hangover potion.

"If you throw up anywhere in my room, your over-bearing parents will be the least of your worries," Ursa threatened.

"Yeah, yeah," Marcus growled. "Just give me a damn hangover potion."

"It's on it's way," Ursa replied. "So long as you are here in my room, you're not going to be an ass so put your patient pants on for once and just sit down."

"What's got your nickers in a twist?" Marcus muttered.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Gee, I don't know. Maybe the fact that this dinner between our parents is really important to me and that you making a drunk ass out of yourself could ruin everything. Why did you have to go and get yourself drunk?"

"Cause my stinking parents were being asses," Marcus drawled.

"You're going to have to give me a little more to work with than that," Ursa grumbled.

"Fine. My parents kept on going on about how I need to start contemplating my future and getting a _proper _career and finding a nice _respectable _pureblood wife," Marcus spat, though his words came out more like slurs considering his drunken state. "They're just so _displeased _with how _disappointing _their only bloody 'heirs' turned out to be. They want me to forget about Quidditch and find a nice wife to settle down with. I don't _want _a wife. Just wanna play Quidditch forever but they don't care about what I want. They never do. Fucking parents."

Ursa sighed, "While I understand your frustration, you can't just act out like this whenever you get mad with your parents. It's not healthy."

"Whatever. It helps, you know. When I drink I forget about their annoying asses so I'm good with it, you know? Have I mentioned how much I love muggle liquor too? Way better than our lazy alcohol," Marcus remarked.

"You mentioned that," Ursa murmured.

"But, uh… Being pissed at my parents also kinda made me realise something else in my drunken state," Marcus said.

"What?" Ursa wondered.

"I don't want a wife, at all," Marcus admitted. "Those mother fuckers have completely turned me off the idea of marriage altogether. I don't want to end up like my parents."

"Well, maybe you won't be so _against _the idea of marriage if you find the right person," Ursa suggested.

"Don't you start with that, Malfoy," Marcus grumbled. "Where is the body potion? I've got a splitting headache over here!"

"And who's fault is that?" Ursa remarked.

"Mine," Marcus muttered.

"Ah, glad to see you're admitting it," Ursa smirked.

It was then that Ursa's house-elf Tinkle chose that moment to appear with Ursa's request. Both her and Draco had their own house elves, though they technically belonged to Lucius.

"Miss Tinkle brought Miss Malfoy what she asked for," Tinkle proclaimed.

"Thank you, Tinkle," Ursa smiled at the elf as she took the potion before tossing it to Marcus. "Here. Drink up."

Marcus took a sip from the bottle before he made an uncomfortable face, "This isn't a fucking hangover potion."

"It's not?" Ursa narrowed her eyes before turning to her elf. "Tinkle, just what did you get from there?"

"Miss Tinkle is so sorry for failing you, Master Ursa. She thought that she had grabbed the correct vial, but there were many vials in the potions lab so she guessed which one it was," Tinkle apologised, though Ursa could sense that her elf was about to burst into hysterics.

"It's alright, Tinkle. You didn't know," Ursa tried reassuring the elf, since she always felt uncomfortable whenever they went into their dramatics. "What potion did you get him, anyways?"

"I used to sleep in the same room as my sister until she started Hogwarts because I was too much of a wimp to sleep on my own," Marcus blurted out, immediately slapping his hand over his mouth once he said it.

"It would appear as though Tinkle got Master's guest a truth serum potion instead," Tinkle stated.

"Don't get any fucking ideas, Malfoy," Marcus growled.

"Don't worry, I won't take advantage of your serum-induced state," Ursa rolled her eyes. "Tinkle, how long will that last for?"

"It is difficult to predict. Tinkle suggests an hour?" Tinkle replied.

"Just try your best to refrain from bursting out embarrassing facts about yourself that I probably don't want to know," Ursa remarked.

"My first fuck was Claudia Nott during the Christmas break in Fifth Year," Marcus confessed, swearing after he did.

Ursa grimaced, "Facts like that."

"Cast a fucking Silencio on me," Marcus demanded.

"I'm underage, you idiot. I've still got the Trace and I'm _not _getting expelled for you," Ursa pointed out. "Use your own wand."

"I didn't bring it cause I was too pissed to get it," Marcus muttered.

"Well, now you've learned the lesson to always have your wand with you," Ursa said.

"The first time I tried riding a broom when I was nine, I broke my arm. I didn't really care for Quidditch either, but I found that I was good at it so I just went with it," Marcus admitted.

"That's… actually not that surprising," Ursa commented, since she always got the feeling that Marcus was only so focused on Quidditch because it was his only talent.

Marcus was biting his lip, as if he was trying to keep himself from saying something potentially problematic. Then, it came out.

"You're fucking right about Wood. I mean, he's still fucking infuriating and the bane of my existence with that damn smirk of his. I just hate him cause I'm supposed to. He's a fucking Gryffindor for fucks sake! But sometimes, I get the most excruciating urge to just shove him into a closet and suck him dry," Marcus blurted out. "FUCKING HELL!"

"Okay, I really did _not _need to know that last bit," Ursa shuddered. "But I'm glad to hear that you're finally admitting what I already knew."

"Nobody likes a know-it-all!" Marcus spat.

"I'll go get something to keep your mouth shut until your parents arrive."

~*•°•*~

The aftermath of Marcus' truth-serum induced state was certainly a spectacle for Ursa to watch. She had managed to get him a proper hangover potion, which calmed him down a bit before she taped his mouth shut to keep him from spilling any other perverted thoughts. Of course, she made a mental note to bring up his confession about Oliver later, but Ursa was smart enough to know that now as not the time for Marcus to be divulging his feelings to her.

Two hours later, Marcus' parents finally arrived and Ursa had done her best to make Marcus look presentable for the evening. For the most part, his hangover had settled down but he was still in a dazed state, so Ursa was just hoping that he'd be able to keep it together for the night. She needed him to, since Buckbeak's life was hinging on this dinner being a success.

"Ursa, this is Edmund and Laverne Flint," Lucius introduced them to the two parents.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ursa replied with the pureblood manners that she had been raised with.

"Thank you for having us over, Lucius," Edmund stated as the families took their seats and the meal began.

"But of course. We have put off a meeting between our families long enough," Lucius said.

"Let's cut to the chase, Lucius," Laverne snapped. "What makes you think that your daughter is good enough for my son?"

"What makes you think that your son is good enough for my daughter?" Narcissa spoke up, and an overwhelming sense of pride came over Ursa.

Her mother was defending her. Granted, Ursa only knew that it was to defend their family's honour, but still. This was a rare moment, and Ursa was gonna take it for what it was.

"Forgive me for having reservations about my only son marrying a girl who has given him a hard time," Laverne quipped.

"Mother, that incident was both of our faults," Marcus grumbled.

"Do not speak unless you are spoken to, son," Laverne snarled. Ursa was already beginning to see how unpleasant this woman was. Just the sight of her was unappealing, and her words weren't doing anything to make Ursa think otherwise.

"Easy there, Lav. You cannot deny that their daughter is a fine young lady," Edmund commented, glancing at Ursa. "Top of your class, aren't you?"

"Um, yes, sir. I am," Ursa replied.

"Swot," she could hear Laverne Flint muttering under her breath.

Narcissa cleared her throat, "So, Marcus. What are your current feelings towards my daughter? From what I understand, you are no strangers to each other."

"She's alright. We talk sometimes in passing, always has something to say," Marcus replied, though his speech still sounded slurred.

"Speak with clarity, young man. Don't sit slouched and keep your elbows together!" Laverne ordered.

"Bitch," Marcus muttered.

"And Miss Malfoy, how is it that you feel towards my son?" Edmund asked.

Ursa gulped, making sure to avoid Laverne Flints steal glare, "Marcus and I have very clear differences, however when we do speak we are perfectly amicable together."

"Would you seriously contemplate entering a beneficial arrangement with my son?" Edmund questioned.

"If it suited the needs of both our families, I would be open to the idea. However, as I am still a student with one more year left, I would prefer to finish my education before entering a marriage contract and have at least a year after that to prepare for a wedding," Ursa answered.

"What right do you have to think that you can suggest demands in this contract, girl?" Laverne scowled.

"As it is my future, I think I should have every right to dictate how that scenario would work," Ursa quipped.

"Why hold off on a wedding, though? It's not like you should have any plans to do anything else with your life," Laverne remarked.

"What do you mean?" Narcissa asked.

Laverne scoffed, "Oh, come now, Narcissa. Surely you must understand that it is a woman's duty to serve her husband. I want a woman for my son who would only have commitment to him, and nothing else."

"But what about me having a career?" Ursa wondered, her temper slowly beginning to rise.

"I can't understand why you would need a career. Our families are perfectly wealthy enough for you to not have to work a day in your life, dear. And while Marcus pursues his career, you would do your job as a noble wife by providing an heir and a spare," Laverne replied.

"So, is that what your son is then, a spare?" Ursa remarked, and Laverne's glare hardened.

"Ursa," Lucius hissed.

"Don't use my words against me, girl," Laverne growled.

"Easy there, Lav," Edmund said in an attempt to calm his wife down.

"Don't call me that!" Laverne snapped.

Ursa glanced at Marcus, who seemed to be trying his best not to just let his face fall onto the table. One downside of the hangover potion was feeling incredibly tired, and Marcus was certainly looking it as his eyes glazed backwards. This did not go unnoticed by his parents.

"Marcus! Sit up straight, not like a sloth!" Laverne demanded.

"I'm trying my best," Marcus grumbled.

"Are you alright?" Narcissa asked.

"Just a little tired, that's all," Marcus replied.

"Obviously. You exhaust yourself playing that recklessly dangerous sport. Too much of your time is spent zipping around on a broomstick instead of focusing on your studies like you should be," Laverne said.

"Mother, I told you that I am trying my best to improve my grades this year," Marcus argued.

"You wouldn't need to try if they had your complete dedication. But instead you choose to chase a fruitless dream instead of focusing on your future," Laverne's head glanced towards Ursa. "And what fruitless dream do you aspire to achieve, girl? Become Minister for Magic? Not likely."

Ursa's jaw clenched, "No, actually. I have no desire to work at the Ministry. Instead, I would like to explore ancient studies and alchemy to see what I can create on my own."

Laverne cackled, "Don't make me life, dearie. It's not like you could make your own Philosopher's Stone or anything like that."

"Excuse me, but my daughter is an incredibly gifted witch and I will not stand for you insulting her in our own house where you are merely guests in, _Laverne_," Narcissa proclaimed.

"Well, then. You should tell your daughter to mind that tone of hers," Laverne huffed.

"Ursa, mind your tone. Need I remind you what's at stake for you?" Lucius said.

"No, father. I know," Ursa muttered.

"Alright then. Say that we do accommodate to your demands, Miss Malfoy. When would you be willing to marry my son?" Laverne inquired.

"You say that like I'm making such an absurd request. Is there so much wrong with me wanting a little bit of freedom before I settle down and marry?" Ursa wondered.

"Of course," Laverne replied instantly. "You seem to have deluded yourself into thinking that you would even have a choice, my dear. From the moment you're born as a pureblood you lose the freedom to decide your fate."

"But what about my Aunt Andromeda? She escaped her so-called decided fate," Ursa remarked, noticing how her mother gazed down upon hearing her sisters name.

"Andromeda Black is a rare case, and a rather big blemish on the Black family tree. What she did was most shameful, and disrespectful. To just get up and marry that mudblood and abandon her family is the greatest act of dishonour," Laverne answered.

"Leave my sister out of this," Narcissa said with very little emotion.

"Don't tell me that you would do the same as your treacherous Aunt and betray your family to marry a muggleborn?" Laverne scowled.

"Of course she wouldn't," Lucius spoke up. "My daughter knows where her loyalty lies and it is with her family. She would not dare to soil our family tree with filth."

"You should hope so, Lucius," Laverne commented.

"So, Marcus. What career interests do you have?" Narcissa asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Would like to do Quidditch, but if not I guess working in the Magical Department of Games and Sports wouldn't be too unbearable," Marcus replied, and Ursa knew that he was just saying that in an attempt to satisfy his parents. It didn't work.

"You must certainly will not!" Laverne exclaimed. "I want you far away from sports. It is of no good to you and will hardly get you anywhere in the Ministry. If you are to bring _anything _to our family name, you must get a respectable job."

"I thought working at the Ministry was a respectable job?" Marcus slurred.

"Calm now, you two. Let's not have this here," Edmund said.

"Stay out of this, Edmund," Laverne snapped. "I want you as far away from sports as possible. Think of your future for once, you insolent child! What if you have an accident and can never do proper work again?"

"Well, like you said, both of our families have enough money so that we wouldn't have to work at all," Marcus remarked.

"Don't. Use. My. Words. Against. Me!" Laverne snarled. "You will not disrespect me like this, young man."

"Would you quit your nagging, for fucks sake," Marcus grumbled. He seemed to be forgetting that this dinner was taking place in front of an audience, and Ursa could practically see Laverne's veins popping with rage.

Funnily enough, her own mother appeared to be oddly amused about this whole affair while her father was beginning to look redder by the minute.

"How dare you! Narcissa, Lucius, I must apologise for my sons repentant behaviour. I'm sure you must know what it is like to have a disappointing heir," Laverne said.

That was it for Ursa. Any resolve that she had been holding onto had broken in that moment and she just completely forgot about what was really important to her.

"Listen up, lady," Ursa seethed as she stood up, kicking her chair backwards. "I don't know what right you think you have to speak to your son that way, but you certainly have no right to speak to me that way in my own house."

"How dare you!" Laverne exclaimed. "This isn't even your house. It's your _parents _house that you won't even get because you're not the rightful heir like your brother is. You will get nothing and it would serve you right for being a blood-traitor disgrace!"

"Well, good! Because I don't want anything! I don't want charity or money handed to me. I want to make my own name and earn my own living," Ursa proclaimed.

"Calm yourself, young lady!" Lucius ordered.

Laverne snorted, "You are surely dreaming with that one, my dear. Nobody would ever take you seriously no matter how much of a swot you might be or what your family name is."

"Stop calling me 'my dear!' I am not your _dear_!" Ursa snapped.

"Have you ever considered taking anger management classes, my dear?" Laverne asked, putting an obvious emphasis on her last two words.

"You know, growing up as a pureblood we're supposed to be prepared for this kind of shite. Nothing can prepare you for putting up with an overbearing and disrespectful pureblood wife who doesn't seem to know her own place," Ursa argued.

"How dare you let your brat speak to me that way! Me, Laverne Flint from the House of Runcorn! I'll have you know that my cousin Albert could _ruin _you in the Ministry so that you would never be able to seek employment there!" Laverne threatened.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Didn't I make myself clear? I don't _want _a miserable Ministry job."

"Just leave her alone, you bitch. It's about time someone told you where to shove it," Marcus remarked.

If she could, Laverne Flint would've been breathing steam. "This is an outrage! Is it your life's goal to make your poor mother miserable? It's bad enough that your sister couldn't have a respectable marriage. Now you're doing your best to blemish our family name without even marrying a mudblood!"

"Now, you better quiet down if you know what's good for you, Laverne, because this is getting out of hand!" Lucius exclaimed.

"Newsflash, mother, I don't even _want _to get married thanks to your nagging efforts!" Marcus declared, causing his mother to let out a pained screech.

Laverne turned to Ursa, hatred burning on her face, "You! You did this, didn't you! You and your little chats with my son tarnished his mind! You corrupted him!"

"Oh, please. Like I would even want to marry your son," Ursa drawled. "No offence, but he's an _idiot_!"

"How dare you speak about my son like that!" Laverne shrieked.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "So it's only okay for you to?"

"I mean, she's got a point, mother," Marcus snorted.

"Don't let her insult you! Show some dignity for Merlins sake! Haven't you disappointed me enough?" Laverne wailed.

"Apparently not," Marcus remarked, causing his mother to let out another wild shriek.

"As fun as it would be to argue with you and watch you suffer a mental breakdown, I would really rather not put up with your unbearable antics anymore and I'm sure that your son doesn't want to either so we'll be going now," Ursa declared.

Without looking back, Ursa yanked Marcus up from his seat and dragged him out the family dining room. As much as Ursa would've loved to have been a fly on the wall for the aftermath of that disaster, she would much rather be as far away from the Manor as possible right now. So, Ursa dragged Marcus off the grounds with every intention of using him as a way to get away from here.

"Are you up for apparating?" Ursa asked.

"I guess," he grumbled. "That was pretty awesome, though. What you said to my mother. Merlin knows I've been wanting to say that to her for nineteen years."

"Technically, you haven't been able to talk for every moment of your nineteen years."

"Oh, can it with your logic," Marcus snapped. "What destination do you have in mind?"

Ursa paused for a moment, not really knowing where to go. Her first instinct was to go to Tessa's house, but then Tessa would just bombard her with questions about her association with Marcus and that really wasn't something that she wanted to deal with right now.

But then, Ursa suddenly remembered an address that she had been given before, but had never actually been to. She'd always wanted to visit, but actually getting there was the difficult part. Now Ursa had the perfect mode of transportation, and she didn't even give her Trace a moment of thought.

So, she told Marcus where to go and he whisked them off in an instant. As they apparated, Ursa felt her stomach drop, and it wasn't because of the disturbing sensation that came with apparating. It was because she suddenly remembered something very important, and the whole purpose of this dreadful night.

Buckbeak.

Oh, Merlin.

* * *

**Well, it looks like Ursa is taking Marcus on a bit of a trip. Any guesses where? ;) And she also got him to admit his not-so-secret feelings for Wood, thanks to the truth serum. Sorry, Marcus/Ursa shippers but that ship has sailed, not that it even stood a chance, since I never had any intention to make something beyond friendship happen with them. Fun fact: the Albert that I mentioned was Albert Runcorn, the guy who Harry impersonated in the Deathly Hallows. Runcorn is said to be a pureblood, so I had Marcus' mother come from his family in my elaborate Flint family tree.**

**Up next: **Marcus makes an unlikely friend, Draco is a little shit, Ursa is dismayed and paranoid.


	20. Sweet Comfort

Apparition was almost exactly like Ursa expected it to be. She had never apparated before, but she had heard what it was like and the experience certainly lived up to her expectations. With a half-hungover Marcus Flint slumped against her, Ursa landed with a jolt in Stirling, Stirlingshire. Despite being unfamiliar with the city, Ursa knew the name because it was where her Aunt Andromeda lived. After their first meeting over a year ago, Andromeda had told Ursa that if she ever needed anything, that she could go to their family home in Stirling. And right now, Ursa could certainly use someone to vent to.

"Where are we going?" Marcus slurred.

"We're in Stirling," Ursa replied.

"But _why_?" Marcus groaned.

"To see someone," Ursa replied.

"Who?" Marcus asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," Ursa muttered.

"You don't give many answers," Marcus remarked.

They continued walking until they reached a small house in an isolated village. Ursa could only assume that her Aunt Andromeda had wanted to live somewhere off the grid to be away from her family so that they couldn't find her, and Stirling was one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. So once Ursa reached the house, she knocked on the door and only had to wait a few moments before it was opened.

"Ursa!" came a gasp.

"Hi, Andromeda," Ursa smiled weakly.

Andromeda's gaze immediately landed on Marcus, "Who is he?"

"A friend," Ursa replied. "Can we come in?"

"Of course," Andromeda replied.

"That's your Aunt, isn't it?" Marcus mumbled beside her.

"Yep," Ursa answered.

"You do realise how much trouble we could get in if people find out where you are, right? As you clearly pointed out before, you still have the trace," Marcus pointed out as they sat down in her aunts living room.

"Honestly, right now I don't even care if they find out where I am. I think that they'll only look for me if I'm gone for too long," Ursa said.

"Then you better make your visit quick," Andromeda stated as she entered the room with a few plates of food. "In case you are hungry."

"I certainly am," Marcus grinned as he started chowing down food, causing Ursa to chuckle at the result. "What?"

"Your teeth," Ursa giggled.

"What about my teeth?" Marcus asked.

"They're green," Ursa laughed.

"What? Why?" Marcus squawked.

"I charm my food to give them magical extras," Andromeda replied.

"Really?" Ursa grinned.

"Yes. I always had a knack for baking and Charms. You know, I even had dreams to open my own bakery when I was younger," Andromeda admitted.

"How long will my teeth stay green for?" Marcus demanded.

"Just a few hours," Andromeda replied. "I don't believe I know who you are, young man."

"Marcus Flint," he grunted.

"Of the Sacred Twenty Eight?" Andromeda clarified.

"Yeah, that bullshit," Marcus snorted.

"Why didn't you stay with baking? You could've made a business out of this," Ursa said.

"Well, my father had wanted me to take up a respectable job, only I wanted nothing to do with the Ministry. And then after I married Ted, I couldn't exactly have a high-profile job or career if it meant protecting my family. My father was furious at me for eloping with Ted, so we had to stay in hiding for a while. We chose to live somewhere secluded when we decided to have a family. Nymphadora always loved the area, though we don't see much of her since she lives in London now," Andromeda explained.

"Do you see her often?" Ursa asked.

"She comes over whenever she can, which isn't that often since she's gotten really busy with her Auror training," Andromeda replied.

"How did you and Ted get together?" Ursa wondered.

Andromeda smiled fondly, "We were in the same year. I was a Slytherin, while Ted was a Ravenclaw. Because of our obvious differences, we never really got to speak to each other except for when we were doing our Prefect duties. But then we got paired together as Head Boy and Girl, so we started to spend more time together. At the time, my parents were trying to set me up with Lucius, but the more time I spent with Ted, the more I wanted to be with him. I'll be honest and say that for the first few years, I wasn't really that fond of him. He was a textbook Ravenclaw and a self-proclaimed swot so I didn't exactly like him."

"You didn't?" Ursa gasped.

"No, I didn't. But the closer my parents pushed me to Lucius, the more I went to Ted. He eventually won me over, and it soon became clear that there was nobody else that I'd rather spend my life with. I knew that my parents would never approve, so I ended the engagement to Lucius and decide to elope with Ted," Andromeda revealed.

"What was it like, telling them?" Ursa asked.

"My parents were furious. I had never seen them so angry before. They disowned me in an instant and kicked me out. Bellatrix did nothing as our parents disowned me, while all Cissa did was just look at me like I had betrayed her," Andromeda said.

"Did it hurt to leave them?" Ursa wondered.

"Despite the fact that they had disowned me without a thought, they were still my parents and it hurt for them to betray me like they did. I honestly think that they would've preferred it if I said I was into women because at least then they could've set me up with a female pureblood witch," Andromeda remarked.

At that comment, Ursa couldn't help but spare a glance towards Marcus, who seemed to be paying more attention to the food, not even caring that his skin was now sparkly as a result of one of Andromeda's cupcakes. Based on her one interaction with his wretched mother, Ursa assumed that she would barely have that same reaction to her sons preferences. She'd probably have a stroke if she found out that her only son didn't want to marry a pureblood witch.

"So, what brings you two to my cottage?" Andromeda asked.

"We just came out of a disastrous dinner where our parents tried to set us up," Ursa replied.

"How was it a disaster?" Andromeda wondered.

"My mother's a bitch and her fathers a dick," Marcus said through more mouthfuls.

"You have quite the mouth, young man," Andromeda remarked.

"It makes my mother recoil," Marcus grinned.

"Your mother… Laverne Flint?" Andromeda clarified.

Marcus grimaced, "Yeah, that bitch. My dad's just a doormat."

"And so you two do not want to get married," Andromeda stated.

"I don't want to get married until I'm at least twenty. That's my one condition if I have to get forced into some pureblood marriage and it shouldn't be too much to ask for me to get to choose who I spend the rest of my life with," Ursa proclaimed.

"Unfortunately, in pureblood circles it is," Andromeda sighed. "With a father like Lucius Malfoy, you could be fighting a losing battle."

"I mean, she could've just stuck with me and we could've done our own thing on the side," Marcus said.

Ursa glared at him, "I don't want to be anyone's second choice. I want to marry for love, not convenience."

"You sound like your mother. Cissa was always the most naïve of us," Andromeda chuckled before glancing at Marcus. "So, if you don't mind me asking, Marcus Flint, what is there not to like about my niece?"

"Well, other than the fact that she's an obnoxious swot, she's a girl for starters," Marcus remarked.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Marcus here has just had a recent sexual awakening and that he has a boner for his childhood rival after burying years of internalised homophobia."

"Why don't you just broadcast it to the freaking world!" Marcus exclaimed.

"I'll leave that to you," Ursa chuckled.

"So, I take it that your parents would not approve?" Andromeda stated.

"My mother would have a stroke if she found out I didn't want a wife and because my dad is just a stinking doormat, he'd go with her," Marcus remarked.

"I don't think I've ever seen a pureblood relationship where the woman is in power," Andromeda commented.

"Oh, you should see my parents. My father may act all though and powerful, but he will do whatever mother wants him to do if she really wants it," Ursa said.

"Cissa was always like that. She was always the favourite in the family, so Bellatrix and I often let her take the blame for anything we did wrong because our parents would always go easier on her," Andromeda recalled.

"Maybe that's where she gets her favouritism from," Ursa muttered.

Andromeda's face softened, "Oh, Ursa. I'm sure that your mother loves you. Cissa always talked about wanting girls over boys for children. I just think it comes down to the fact that your brother was born second and that the male is supposed to be the heir in all pureblood families."

"That doesn't really make me feel better," Ursa sighed.

"Try a brownie, that should help," Marcus suggested as he shoved one into her hands.

"Your lack of manners are unparalleled," Ursa drawled before eating the brownie anyways. Glancing at Marcus, she could see that he'd eaten basically all of the food that they'd been given. "You really are the epitome of an anti-pureblood."

"What can I say? Alcohol makes me hungry and I hate all of that fancy food that we always have to eat at those stupid pureblood dinners. I'd sooner throw myself off the Astronomy Tower before I had to go through another one of them," Marcus remarked.

"Yes, well, as much as I have enjoyed your company, I do believe that it would be best for you two to head off before you are missed. I can't imagine that it would go down well with your parents if they found out where you are," Andromeda suggested.

Ursa sighed, "I suppose so. Thank you for letting us stay here."

"Thanks for the food," Marcus mumbled through his final mouthfuls of food.

"Next time you choose to stop by, Ursa, I suggest that you do so when you no longer have the Trace on you," Andromeda stated.

"Of course," Ursa smiled. "Come on, lover-boy. I need you to apparate me back."

"Fine," Marcus grumbled as they got up to leave.

After a few goodbyes, Ursa and Marcus headed away from Andromeda's cottage, though Marcus made a point to take as many snacks as he could from Andromeda.

"I like your Aunt," Marcus commented.

"Only because she fed you well," Ursa stated.

"That's a good woman," Marcus said.

Ursa raised her eyebrows, "Are you saying that women are only good for making food?"

"Chill, woman. No need to get your feminist knickers in a twist," Marcus jeered, earning him a slap on the head. "Hey!"

"That's for being an ass," Ursa said.

"I'm not that bad," Marcus drawled.

"Oliver would disagree," Ursa remarked.

"Don't start with that," Marcus muttered.

"Oh, we are so talking about that at another time," Ursa smirked.

"Bitch," Marcus snarled.

"Ass," Ursa taunted.

"See, this is why we could never be married," Marcus pointed out.

Ursa chuckled, "Exactly. Now come on, apparate me back."

They continued walking until Marcus apparated Ursa back to Wiltshire, with Ursa requesting that he took her to the outskirts of Wiltshire so that she could simply walk back to Malfoy Manor. Despite having lived in Wiltshire all her life, Ursa had never actually seen much of the area since she had only spent most of her childhood locked in the Manor. Though as she did make her way towards the area where Malfoy Manor resided, Ursa felt that uncomfortable feeling when it's like someone is watching you.

Every few minutes, Ursa would glance behind her as the same feeling remained. However, when Ursa did look behind again, she just saw a dog. Though upon giving it a closer look, she recognised it ass the same rugged dog that she had spotted near Hogsmeade. But surely it wasn't the same dog, right? The odds of that dog being spotted near Hogsmeade and Wiltshire should be slim, but obviously not.

Before Ursa could even do anything, the dog had growled at her again before running off. The whole thing was just weird to her. She just decided that she was imagining things, and that dogs just didn't like her. Besides, it's not like Ursa could spend her time worrying about dogs with what else she had on her mind, like saving a certain Hippogriff from certain doom.

~*•°•*~

Upon returning back to Hogwarts, Ursa was dreading seeing Hermione again. She knew that she'd have to break the news to Hermione that her plan to save Buckbeak had failed. Once she had returned to the Manor, her father had basically rubbed it in her face that she had failed to win him over and that there was nothing she'd be able to do to change his mind on the matter. Ursa could already picture the devastated look on Hermione's face when she told her that Buckbeak would most likely be executed, and she could also picture the shocked look on her face when she told her what she learned about Sirius.

With everything that had happened at the dinner and after seeing Andromeda, Ursa barely had enough time to think about that specific revelation. Sirius was innocent, that was much was clear. But there was still so much that Ursa didn't understand. If Peter Pettigrew was alive… then how come he's been gone all this time? So much about this confused Ursa, since she knew that there was a lot that she didn't understand about this whole thing.

Like they always did, Ursa expected to meet Hermione in the library, but when she did, she found Hermione passed out over loads of papers that were next to stacks of books. Hermione's excessive study load had not gone unnoticed by Ursa, and she was beginning to seriously wonder how Hermione was able to manage all of these classes.

"Minnie, wake up," Ursa hissed as she nudged her.

"Huh?" Hermione mumbled as she sat up, with a piece of paper stuck to her face.

"Nice look," Ursa commented.

"I have a lot of work to do," Hermione murmured tiredly.

"Well, I'm here to give you a much needed break then," Ursa said, pushing the books away.

"I have to finish the work. I can't afford to fall behind," Hermione stated.

"Don't you think that you're taking on too much work? I don't know how you're managing this, Minnie," Ursa commented.

"I can handle it," Hermione insisted.

"If you're sure," Ursa conceded with uncertainty. "Anyways, I um… have some not so good news to give you."

"Really? I've gotten more than enough bad news lately," Hermione muttered.

"Like what?" Ursa wondered.

"Well, Harry and Ron haven't been speaking to me since Christmas," Hermione sighed.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

"Because Harry was gifted a unanimous firebolt and I told Professor McGonagall about it, so she confiscated it. They acted like what I did was some sort of crime when I was only trying to look out for Harry!" Hermione explained.

"They're really giving you the cold shoulder over a damn racing broom?" Ursa clarified.

"Yes," Hermione grumbled.

"Sometimes I think that you need better friends, Minnie," Ursa sighed.

"Yeah, well I'd certainly agree at this point," Hermione muttered. "So, what other bad news do you have for me?"

"Buckbeak's trial will be going ahead as planned," Ursa said.

Hermione's face fell, "What? But I thought that you said you had a plan to stop it!"

"Yeah, I did. And that plan fell through," Ursa replied. "Thanks to my bloody pride."

Hermione groaned, "Ugh, I'd been putting off preparing for Buckbeak's trial because I thought you had it handled. Now I've got to worry about it all over again."

"I'm sorry, Minnie. I really did try to stop it, but I screwed up. I take responsibility for it," Ursa said.

"No, it's not your fault. It's your stupid brothers fault for starting this mess and your evil father for being an ass," Hermione growled.

"Yes, well, I'll still help you prepare Buckbeak's defence. It's the least I can do," Ursa promised.

"You don't owe me anything, Ursa. But I appreciate the help. Merlin knows that I need it with all of this work to do," Hermione sighed.

"What's this?" Ursa asked as she picked up a stack of papers.

"It's for Defence, when Snape set the essay on werewolves. I did it for nothing though, because when Professor Lupin came back he said it wasn't necessary to hand it in," Hermione replied.

"Lupin does miss a lot of classes in a rather specific cycle," Ursa commented, since it had only taken her the first few months of the school year to notice how scheduled Lupins days off were.

Hermione's eyes widened, "Do you know?"

"Know what?" Ursa asked.

"About Lupin. About… what he is," Hermione clarified.

"Well, I haven't written an extensive essay on werewolves but I can certainly spot the symptoms, and it looks like Lupin has all of them," Ursa stated.

"He's a werewolf, isn't he?" Hermione deduced.

"It would seem so," Ursa nodded.

"But… why would Dumbledore hire Lupin if he's a werewolf? Doesn't he realise the danger that Lupin poses to students and everyone around him?" Hermione wondered.

Ursa scoffed, "Well, we can't really question Dumbledore's motives for hiring Lupin considering his poor choice in previous Defence professors. In the past three years he's hired a man with Voldemort hanging around the back of his head, then he hired a fraud and now he's hired a werewolf. His taste really couldn't get any worse."

"It just feels weird being around Lupin now, knowing what he is and what he could do under the influence of a full moon," Hermione admitted.

"Well, Lupin hasn't harmed anyone, hasn't he? And Dumbledore wouldn't have hired Lupin if he didn't trust him. I haven't even heard of this Remus Lupin before, so I don't think that his condition would be public knowledge," Ursa said.

"But we can't be taught by a werewolf!" Hermione exclaimed. "Not only because of his irregular teaching cycles, but because of the danger he poses. I don't like to think that all werewolves are bad, but they are dangerous."

Ursa sighed, "I see your point. But think about it, Minnie. Like I said, Lupin's condition probably isn't even public knowledge. And surely you must realise the stigma that is attached to werewolves, thanks to those like Fenrir Greyback. We could be ruining Lupin's life by telling someone about his condition. It's almost impossible for known werewolves to find work, because people are constantly afraid of them. And we have to believe that Dumbledore wouldn't have hired Lupin without putting the necessary precautions in place."

"The Wolfsbane Potion is a potion that helps keep werewolves subdued, right?" Hermione clarified.

Ursa nodded, "It is."

"I think Snape might be making Lupin the Wolfsbane Potion," Hermione suggested. "Harry said that Lupin drank a potion that Snape gave him, and that he just claimed to have an illness. The Wolfsbane is said to be one of the most complicated potions to make, and I wouldn't put it past Snape to be able to make it."

"See? If Lupin is in his right frame of mind underneath a full moon, he's not going to hurt anyone," Ursa insisted.

"If you say so," Hermione conceded.

"And um, this something else that I should tell you too," Ursa stated.

"Please don't be more bad news," Hermione groaned.

"Well, it depends on how you look at it, really," Ursa chuckled. "I was at home over the holidays, and I overheard my parents talking. They said that Sirius Black was innocent."

"What? How could he be innocent? He's a murderer!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I don't know the full story about that, but based on what I heard, it sounded like Sirius was framed and that Peter Pettigrew is actually alive," Ursa said.

"How could that even be possible? They found Pettigrew's finger," Hermione pointed out.

"A person can live without one extra appendage, Minnie. So just because they could only find his finger doesn't mean that's all that was left of him," Ursa reasoned.

"I suppose so… but I just don't even want to think about what that would mean for Harry. He was already devastated to learn that his parents had been betrayed by someone who had been their best friend. I don't think that Harry could handle dealing with another betrayal," Hermione said.

"Well, I wouldn't recommend telling him this anyways," Ursa stated. "There's a lot that we don't understand about this, and it's beginning to sound like one big mess. Besides, I doubt that he would believe what you have to say considering you're fighting and the fact that I am a Malfoy. I'm not someone that Harry Potter would trust."

"I just feel bad. I'm already keeping enough from him, and to add this to it just feels wrong. He'd deserve to know…" Hermione trailed off.

"What else are you keeping from him besides me?" Ursa asked.

Hermione's eyes widened, "Nothing else. Just… stuff. You don't need to know."

"I'll stick with that for now," Ursa murmured.

"Now, we've got a trial to prepare for and a Hippogriff to save," Hermione declared.

"You're damn right we do," Ursa agreed.

That was exactly Ursa planned on doing. Even though she secretly knew that they were fighting a losing battle, there was no way that Ursa was going to give up on Buckbeak without a fight.

~*•°•*~

It was a few days later when Ursa first spoke to Draco since before leaving for the Christmas holidays. She was in the Great Hall, and Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table with all of his friends like he usually did. There was no denying the influence that Draco had over some of his housemates, while Ursa had next to none over Ravenclaw. That was probably more so to do with the fact that Ravenclaws were more individual characters while Slytherin was all about fraternity.

As Ursa made her way towards the Ravenclaw table where her friends were, she could hear the Slytherins talking together, and despite never being one to engage in conflict, there was one comment that just set her off the edge.

"I can't wait for that disgusting Hippogriff to get its head chopped off after what it did to you, Drakey," Pansy Parkinson jeered.

Ursa had never turned around so fast and glared so hard, "What did you just say?"

"Are you talking to me?" Pansy snarled.

"You say that like I'm not worth speaking to you," Ursa remarked.

"Because you're not," Pansy sneered. "I'm Pansy Parkinson and you're just… nothing. You're the inferior Malfoy."

"Oh, am I, now?" Ursa challenged. "I'm a Prefect, Parkinson. I have more influence around here than you have. Any influence that you have is worth nothing because you're just a pug-faced bully who waltzes around like she's better than everyone because of her so-called pure blood."

Pansy gasped, "How dare you speak to me like that! Drakey, aren't you going to say anything?"

"Leave us alone, sister. Otherwise I'm calling Snape," Draco threatened, though his voice seemed to betray his threat.

"You should call him now! Prefects shouldn't go around bullying other students like she is," Pansy insisted.

"Says you, the Queen of Bullying. You just can't handle someone treating you the way that you treat everyone else around here. Some spine you have," Ursa remarked.

"Go Malfoy!" she could've sworn she heard the Weasley twins cheering from the Gryffindor table.

"And you," Ursa turned her glare to Draco. "To say that I am ashamed of your behaviour would be a downright understatement."

"Me? What have I done?" Draco demanded.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "You know how you've acted. You've done nothing but mock a poor creature and sentence it to it's death! Doesn't it bother you that an innocent Hippogriff is going to be slaughtered because of you? You might not be the one to deliver the final blow, but it was you who started this mess. Buckbeak's blood will be on your hands too."

"That Hippogriff deserves to die for what it did to me," Draco spat.

"What it did to you was because of your own stupid actions," Ursa argued.

"Look at you, blaming your brother! Some family loyalty you have," Pansy sneered.

"Your opinion is irrelevant here, Parkinson," Ursa snapped. "I can't believe you, Draco. How could you be so cold and heartless?"

"Because that monster attacked me!" Draco exclaimed.

"That _monster _is a poor, innocent creature that doesn't deserve to die and I won't stand by and let you and father have your way," Ursa proclaimed.

"Yeah, well good luck saving that beast," Draco snarled as he stood up to glare at her. "You know how much influence father has and that all he has to do is say the word and that Hippogriff is dead like it should be."

"You're unbelievable!" Ursa snapped.

"You're pathetic. You may as well go and advocate for muggle rights now," Draco spat.

"Well, maybe I will!" Ursa exclaimed.

Giving them one last glare, Ursa stalked off to her seat at the Ravenclaw table before throwing her books down with a resounding huff. There was no denying the odd looks that Ursa knew she was getting, since she was never one to get involved with conflict. She was always the quiet Malfoy, and the one who stayed out of trouble. But there was no way that Ursa was just going to let her brother talk about Buckbeak that way. No way at all.

But it was a real shame to hear Draco speak that way, since Ursa knew that was the result of their fathers influence. Despite trying her best to make Draco realise the absurdity of their fathers actions, there was only so much that she could do when he wouldn't listen to her at all. Though she wouldn't give up on Draco either, since Ursa wanted to believe that her brother was better than this. He just needed the correct guidance to realise that, and it looked like Ursa was going to be all the guidance that he'd get.

* * *

**So, Ursa dragged Marcus off to Andromeda, which in my initial planning was for them to go see Tonks but then I felt like including Andromeda would be more appropriate considering their situation. When it came to choosing where Andromeda lived, I'd think that she'd live somewhere on the outskirts, and Stirling is one of the smallest cities in Scotland, so that's why I chose it.**

**Up next: **Hermione needs new friends, Ursa gets a new pet and she discovers yet another secret.


	21. Secret Keeper

**Sorry for not updating earlier like I usually do, I just got a bit busy in the past two weeks and will probably continue to be so don't expect the general two week updates from now on.**

* * *

**Secret Keeper**

* * *

Ever since her blow-up with Draco in the Great Hall, Ursa began openly hanging out with Hermione as they worked together to create their own case for Buckbeak. There were certainly a few odd looks that went her way but Ursa didn't care who saw her. It was no secret now that she was an advocate for Buckbeak, so Ursa had nothing to lose by publicly associating with Hermione. There was no doubt that Hermione's so-called friends were also noticing Ursa's association with her, and Ursa knew that it was only adding to Hermione's conflict with them.

"Are Potter and Weasley still giving you the stink eye?" Ursa asked as they had their usual study session in the library.

Hermione groaned, "It's even worse now. Ron's found something else to hate me for. He's accused Crookshanks of murdering Scabbers."

"That rotten rat of his?" Ursa clarified.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed. "Ron said that Scabbers was gone and that there were cat hairs there so he just naturally accused Crooks of murdering Scabbers. What does Ron even see in that rat anyways? It's just rotten and gross."

"How long has he even had that rat for?" Ursa wondered.

"Ron said that it's been in his family for thirteen years now and that it was his brother Percy's before he got it," Hermione replied.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "That's odd for a rat to live that long."

Hermione shrugged, "Maybe it's different? I tried to reason with Ron, saying that if Scabbers is dead then maybe he just died on his own because Scabbers was looking particularly dreadful in the days before he disappeared. But Ron's had a vendetta against Crookshanks from the moment he met him."

"Ronald just has poor taste in pets. Who would even want a pathetic rat like that?" Ursa remarked.

"I know! Ron didn't even like Scabbers for the most part. He was always going on about how pathetic he was and how he wished he had a better pet. But then when Scabbers is gone he goes ballistic," Hermione said.

"Well, I guess it's just a case of you say you hate something but really, if you lost it you would really miss it. Ronald probably really did care about his rat but just spent so much of his time hating on it because everyone else saw it was pathetic," Ursa reasoned.

"It's just stupid. We're supposed to be friends and he's throwing our friendship aside because of a stupid rat. And Harry's just going along with him because Ron's his best friend and he'd rather be friends with Ron than me. Am I not worth more than a rat?" Hermione cried hysterically.

"Careful, Minnie, otherwise you'll get Madam Pince to kick us out," Ursa chuckled awkwardly.

"No! It's just wrong. Everything is wrong! Nothing is right anymore!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What's with the dramatics, Minnie? Don't you think you should calm down a little?" Ursa asked.

"No! I'm just expressing myself, that's all. I'm acting completely normal. Don't I have a right to speak my mind against the injustice of Ron refusing to speak to me over his stupid rat?" Hermione cried.

"Of course, but just not like this because it's not you," Ursa replied.

Hermione groaned, "Ugh, I'm sorry. I'm just so stressed lately and this whole argument with Harry and Ron is wasting energy that I could be spending on my classes. I have so much work to do and I've barely even started."

"Well, maybe I could help you?" Ursa offered.

"No! I can do it on my own. It's my work. I wanted the challenge of doing it so I will get it done on my own," Hermione insisted as she pulled up her book bag and put it on the table. "Ugh! Where is my Ancient Runes book!"

"Um, it's right in front of you, Minnie," Ursa replied awkwardly.

"Oh," Hermione stammered. "I guess… I missed it. That's fine. Everything is fine."

"You don't sound fine," Ursa reasoned.

"Everything is fine!" Hermione hissed.

"Okay, you are way too stressed. You just need to take a moment to lie down and have a nap," Ursa suggested as she slowly took Hermione's bag from her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ursa could've sworn that she saw the strangest looking necklace in Hermione's bag. As she took a closer look, Ursa knew that it was something that she had seen before in pictures, since there were only so many of them in existence. A time turner.

"Hermione… is this a time turner?" Ursa asked.

Hermione's eyes widened as she yanked her bag back, "No! It's nothing! It's just… a stupid necklace. That's right. Nothing important."

"I saw enough of it to know what it is, Hermione. I'm not stupid," Ursa said.

Hermione sighed, "Okay, you're right. It is a time turner. You mustn't tell anyone! Nobody is supposed to know I have it."

"How did you even get it? They're supposed to be incredibly rare," Ursa stated as Hermione let her look at the time turner.

"I got special permission from Professor McGonagall to have one so that I could take more classes," Hermione admitted.

"So that's how you've been taking so many classes at once," Ursa realised.

"I thought I could handle it. I wanted to get all twelve O.W.L. scores but it's just too much. I'm barely hanging on!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I see that," Ursa remarked.

"But it's gonna be okay. I'm going to end up dropping Divination anyways because it's a waste of magic. So I can accept getting just eleven O.W.L.s," Hermione said awkwardly.

"Maybe you should drop Muggle Studies too? It's not like you even need it, being a muggleborn and all," Ursa suggested.

Hermione sighed, "Maybe you're right. I just wanted to be smart at everything. If Tom Riddle can get all twelve O.W.L. and N.E.W.T scores then why can't I?"

"Well, Tom Riddle was particularly brilliant," Ursa replied before noticing Hermione's stink eye. "Not that I'm saying _you're _not brilliant, I'm just saying that Riddle was practically a boy genius. It would be hard to top him."

"Even Percy Weasley got all twelve O.W.L.s! Why can't I?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Percy Weasley is the epitome of a swot. If you looked up the definition of it in the dictionary, his face would be there next to Tom Riddle's. The boy can probably study in his sleep too," Ursa reasoned.

"I guess I'm not that cut out for that level of academic superiority," Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, you don't need to get twelve O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s to be a brilliant student. You're already brilliant on your own. You helped me figure out the Chamber of Secrets and managed to beat a Potions riddle set by Snape. You're brilliant in your own merits so don't you ever forget that," Ursa insisted.

Hermione smiled weakly, "Thanks, Ursa. That means a lot, coming from you. I guess we should get back to preparing Buckbeak's case now."

"Of course," Ursa murmured, even though she doubted their case was actually going to do anything for Buckbeak because Ursa knew the influence that her father had, and that he wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted.

"Hey, Ursa. I was wondering if… you would want to come visit Hagrid with me some time this week," Hermione said.

"Oh… Minnie, I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Ursa stammered.

"Why?" Hermione wondered.

"It's just that, I don't think Hagrid really likes me that much," Ursa admitted.

"How come?" Hermione asked.

"Well, he always leaves me with the worst jobs to have in Care of Magical Creatures. Plus, I can just feel the disdain in his voice whenever he says the name Malfoy," Ursa explained.

"Oh, well I guess he would have reason to dislike you on face value. But you're not your family, so Hagrid can't just dislike you because of your last name. And if he actually took the time to get to know you, he'd have to like you. So just try. We can go over our case for Buckbeak with him," Hermione insisted.

"If you insist," Ursa conceded.

"Yay! I'm sure that you'll win Hagrid around once he sees that you're genuine with helping Buckbeak," Hermione said.

They continued working together after that, though Ursa had to secretly admit that she had her reservations about properly meeting Hagrid considering she was fairly certain that he disliked her just for being a Malfoy. It wouldn't be the first time that someone disliked Ursa just because of her last name, and she certainly disliked the stigma that came with being a Malfoy. That was still a stereotype that Ursa was trying to break, and she knew it would never be easy to disassociate herself from her family's murky past.

~*•°•*~

On the next Wednesday evening, Ursa accompanied Hermione to Hagrid's hut with the intention of having tea with him. It was a little nerve-wracking for Ursa, because even with Hermione's reassurance, she still didn't think that this tea stop would turn out well.

"Hagrid, I'm here!" Hermione called out once they arrived at the hut.

"Hello, Hermione!" Hagrid smiled when he saw Hermione, before his look turned sour when he saw Ursa standing beside her. "What's she doin' here?"

"Ursa here has been helping me prepare Buckbeak's defence for his trial and I was hoping that it would be okay if she joined us for tea," Hermione replied.

Hagrid gave Ursa a suspicious look, "She's really helpin' yer?"

Hermione nodded, "She most certainly is. There's no way I wouldn't have been able to prepare half of what I've done for the trial if not for Ursa."

"Yer sure she's not just usin' yer?" Hagrid asked.

Ursa cleared her throat, "While I understand your suspicion of me Hagrid, I have no intention to just sit by and do nothing while an innocent creature gets slaughtered because of something that wasn't even it's fault. My brother was being his usual ignorant self and it embarrasses me that he and my father are insistent on going through with this act of injustice so I will not stand for it."

"See? You can trust her, Hagrid. I trust her, and she's nothing like her brother and she most certainly isn't anything like her father," Hermione insisted.

"Well, I guess there has to be some good in yer if our Hermione can trust yer, so come on in," Hagrid conceded.

It was almost surprising that Hagrid had been that easy to accept Ursa, though she supposed that he only let her in because she had Hermione's approval. Now it'd be interesting to see if this initial awkwardness would pass or not.

"How have things been with Harry an' Ron, Hermione?" Hagrid asked as he poured them a cup of tea.

Hermione sighed, "Not great. We've been fighting more than ever lately. Though it's mostly just me and Ron fighting, and it's all because of that stupid rat of his."

"I could always speak ter them if you'd like," Hagrid offered.

"Oh, please no. I think that anyone else interfering would just make things worse," Hermione frowned.

"They'll come around eventually, Minnie. Ronald just needs some time to calm his farm," Ursa reassured her.

Hermione giggled, "I didn't know that you knew muggle phrases."

"We've been studying muggle culture in Muggle Studies, and part of that means understanding muggle slang," Ursa replied.

"Yer take Muggle Studies?" Hagrid said.

Ursa nodded, "Yes, I do. I take eleven N.E.W.T subjects, including Ancient Studies. I would've taken Alchemy too but there wasn't enough high demand for it."

"Then you would've had twelve classes, yet you tell me to drop back from mine," Hermione remarked.

"Only because you're barely handling taking twelve O.W.L. subjects," Ursa argued.

"Why would a pureblood like yeh take a muggle subject?" Hagrid asked.

"Well, when I first told my father that I was taking the subject, I kind of meant it as a joke but then he spit the dummy about it, so I decided to take the subject just to spite him," Ursa explained.

"What do yer think about muggles?" Hagrid wondered.

"I think it's fascinating how muggles have been able to live and coexist without magic. The way that they substitute things that we use with magic is just ingenious. Like those cars? I want to learn how to drive one of them one day," Ursa said.

"I'd be too big to fit in one," Hagrid remarked.

"Well, there are buses too," Ursa stated.

"Yer might not be so bad after all, Malfoy. I always did wonder why yer also took Care of Magical Creatures," Hagrid said.

Ursa shrugged, "I like magical creatures. I'm a textbook Ravenclaw in the sense that I have to learn everything, so I guess I do prefer studying magical creatures rather than actually dealing with them."

"So many creatures are misunderstood, much like Buckbeak," Hagrid sighed.

"Hagrid, I really am sorry for the mess that my brother and father have made with this whole Buckbeak situation. Buckbeak doesn't deserve it and you certainly don't either. I really am trying to help Hermione make this right because I don't want to see Buckbeak get executed," Ursa said.

"Yer know, I was sceptical about yer but I can see that yer genuine now. It might even help the argument ter have a Malfoy on board," Hagrid stated.

"I will certainly do my best to help in any way that I can, and I don't care what anybody thinks about that. What matters to me is doing the right thing and I know that I am doing that by helping you and Buckbeak," Ursa proclaimed.

"Then why don't yer two show me what you've got so far," Hagrid said.

For the next hour, Hermione and Ursa went over the outline of their argument with Hagrid occasionally chipping in. Ursa found that she quite like the half-giants company once he mellowed out to her. By the end of the hour, Ursa was fairly certain that Hagrid had warmed up to her and that he didn't put her in the same category as her father.

"Well, yer two better be headin' back ter the castle now. Thanks for yer company. You're welcome back any time, Hermione. Yer two, Malfoy," Hagrid said as he sent them off.

"See? It wasn't that bad. Hagrid definitely warmed up to you," Hermione stated.

"I guess that does make it easier to be around Hagrid now knowing that he doesn't totally hate my guts," Ursa commented.

"I think I'm going to head back to Gryffindor Tower now. Where are you going to go?" Hermione wondered.

"I'll just go the library to finish up some studying," Ursa replied.

"Okay, I'll see you later," Hermione said before wandering off, leaving Ursa on her own beside the Forbidden Forest.

The last time Ursa had been anywhere near here was during her disastrous detention with Marcus. Why is it that everything Ursa did with that boy ended in disaster? She was just about to keep heading off, until something caught her attention up ahead. Ursa barely noticed it, but her eyes widened when she recognised it as the same dog from Hogsmeade and the one that she saw near her house.

The dog obviously noticed her too, since it ran back into the forest. With her Ravenclaw curiosity getting the best of her, Ursa decided to throw caution to the wind and headed into the Forbidden Forest. It was just strange that Ursa would see the same dog on three separate occasions, and the more she thought about it, the more Ursa could've sworn that she'd seen the dog roaming around on the Hogwarts grounds. To say that was strange was an understatement, and Ursa wanted to find out what was going on.

Heading into the forest, Ursa was sure to keep her guard up, and she could see the dog up ahead in the distance. Ursa continued walking, making sure that she didn't get spotted. At one point, the dog noticed her, and let out a fierce growl. Before anything else could happen, Ursa pulled out her wand and cast the Incarcerous spell, binding the dog to a set of ropes. It almost pained Ursa when she heard the dog whimpering, but she knew she had to be cautious if it was dangerous.

"Careful there, doggy. I don't want to hurt you if you don't hurt me," Ursa reassured the animal, though it still growled at her. "Don't act like I haven't noticed you roaming about the castle. I would assume that you are looking for something, correct? But what could a dog possibly want at Hogwarts? I doubt you want to be our mascot."

The dog just stared at her, almost as if it was examining Ursa to see if it could trust her. What happened next took Ursa completely by surprise. Ursa watched in awe as the dog started to shift in the ropes, before she was left completely gobsmacked when she saw the dog transform into a human form. But it wasn't just any human form. It was Sirius Black.

"Holy mother of Merlin," Ursa muttered.

"If you try anything on me, Malfoy, you'll be dead," Sirius growled.

Ursa gulped, "I won't, because even you wouldn't deserve that. Besides, you can't kill me because if you do, the truth will die with me."

"What truth?" Sirius snarled.

"The fact that you were framed for murdering those twelve muggles and that you didn't betray the Potters and that it was in fact Peter Pettigrew," Ursa declared.

Sirius' eyes widened, "How could you possibly know that?"

"I have my sources," Ursa shrugged. "But you should know, I would be on your side, because I won't stand for any injustice and what happened to you was certainly an injustice."

"I would probably be trying to bite your head off if it weren't for the fact that Crooks said you were good," Sirius said.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "Crooks? You mean Crookshanks? But how?"

"We've been working together. Crookshanks has been helping me find Pettigrew, and he said that you were one of the good ones," Sirius replied.

"How could Crookshanks be helping you find Pettigrew?" Ursa wondered.

"Because Pettigrew is a damn Animagus too," Sirius snarled.

"Wait a minute… that would make you two unregistered Animagi," Ursa pointed out, since she remembered looking over the list of registered Animagi when she first studied the Animagus.

"What about it?" Sirius grunted.

"Never mind…" Ursa trailed off. "What would Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form even be?"

"A rat," Sirius spat.

"A rat?" Ursa repeated before it dawned on her. "Scabbers."

"That's right. The bloody Weasley family rat. He's been with them for a long time, huh? And you'll notice that he's missing a toe!" Sirius exclaimed.

"All they could find of Pettigrew was his finger…" Ursa trailed off.

"Because that damn rat caused the explosion that killed those muggles when I confronted him and cut off his finger so that everyone would believe he was dead and that I killed him," Sirius growled.

"But wait, you told the Aurors that it was you who betrayed the Potters and killed Pettigrew. Why do that if you were innocent?" Ursa wondered.

"I wish that I had killed Pettigrew now," Sirius snarled. "But I only said that I killed Lily and James because I was overwhelmed with grief and guilt. Everything that happened was because of me. Although I didn't cast the Killing Curse on them, I may as well have. I sent them to their deaths."

"You blamed yourself, so that's why you confessed to doing it," Ursa summarised.

"And then Pettigrew got away scot free while I wasted twelve years in Azkaban," Sirius seethed. "But then I saw Pettigrew with the Weasley family on that trip to Egypt. I knew it was him, so I knew it was time for me to escape and enact my revenge."

"You shouldn't kill him. Two wrongs don't make a right," Ursa stated.

Sirius gaped at her, "You can't be Lucius Malfoy's kid."

"It's good to be different and defy people's expectations," Ursa shrugged.

Sirius snorted, "You're definitely Narcissa's kid though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ursa crossed her arms.

"Narcissa was almost more disobedient than Andromeda was, and you certainly have that streak if what I hear is anything to go by," Sirius replied.

"I'm just not a fan of following the social norms," Ursa argued.

"That makes two of us," Sirius scowled.

"So, how do you plan on getting Scabbers… or Pettigrew?" Ursa asked.

"Like I said, I have Crookshanks helping me. He's giving me information and helping me get into the castle. Once I get my hands on that rat… Pettigrew won't stand a chance," Sirius proclaimed.

"Except there's one little problem. Ronald Weasley is under the impression that Crookshanks has murdered his rat," Ursa pointed out.

"That's impossible. Crooks said that he'd let me finish Pettigrew off," Sirius growled.

Ursa shrugged, "Ronald found what he thought was the last remains of his rat and is now convinced that the rat is dead, and it hasn't been seen since."

"That's probably because Pettigrew knows that I'm looking for him. He knows that I'm getting closer and that it won't be long before I get my hands on him. He's trying to buy himself time," Sirius said.

"Well, he clearly doesn't have much time left," Ursa commented. "But I guess I will keep my eyes open for a rat as well and if I find him, I will bring him to you."

Sirius nodded, "Just remember, Malfoy. One wrong move from you…"

"And I'll regret it," Ursa finished.

"Right you will. Now go," Sirius ordered.

Not needing to be told twice, Ursa turned on her heels and left Sirius in the Forbidden Forest, watching as he transformed back into a dog and headed deeper into the forest. Knowing that Sirius was innocent was one thing, but actually speaking with him was never something that Ursa would have thought would happen. Yet here she was, agreeing to work with her 'traitor' cousin. Her father would be most pleased.

In the back of Ursa's mind, she couldn't help but wonder what the repercussions of this would be. Sirius being free would undoubtedly lead to some consequences for her family, but Ursa figured that having Sirius on her side would be good for any future instances. This was one secret that Ursa didn't plan on sharing with Hermione, because she knew that Hermione already had enough secrets on her plate and that Hermione felt guilty enough by keeping the secrets that she already had from harry, and Ursa didn't want to burden her with any more.

For now, Ursa would keep this secret to herself and keep her eyes open for any rat that didn't belong here. As much as that rat deserved the worst, Ursa knew that Sirius deserved the right to be able to deliver Peter Pettigrew his just desserts.

* * *

**Well now Ursa has two more secrets up her sleeve. I would assume that since Crookshanks and Sirius were working together that Sirius would be able to understand Crookshanks, which is how he can somewhat trust Ursa since Crookshanks put in a good word for her. Now we're nearing the end of PoA and I've got a few plot plans for GoF that I need to sleep on.**


	22. More to Lose

**I've been neglecting this story in favour of my other works as well as my personal assignments, so I figured that I'd squeeze this chapter in while I had some time on my hands.**

* * *

**More to Lose**

* * *

After discovering that the rogue dog on the Hogwarts grounds was Sirius Black, Ursa was doing her best to keep her eyes open for any sign of that rotten rat. It unnerved Ursa to think that a murderer and servant of You-Know-Who could be roaming the walls of Hogwarts, and she wanted to be able to sleep soundly without worrying about that blasted rat. Ursa had decided to stick with her initial decision not to tell Hermione about her run-in with Sirius, since she didn't expect Hermione to be able to keep that a secret along with everything else.

While keeping her eyes open for that damn rat, Ursa was also working tirelessly on Buckbeak's appeal. It was only weeks away, so while the rest of Hogwarts was buzzing with anticipation about the final Quidditch match of the year between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Ursa was fretting over Buckbeak's appeal. While Hermione was still being snubbed by her friends, Ursa was more than willing to work with her in public, ignoring the looks that they received when Hermione would sit with Ursa in the Great Hall.

One night, they had opted to meet in a private classroom so that they could discuss the appeal. Hermione had somehow managed to get permission from McGonagall for them to be out past curfew so long as they did not cause any problem. As Ursa roamed through the empty corridors to find a classroom, she could have sworn that she had certain… noises coming from one of the classrooms. And by noises, they weren't noises that one would want to hear. Against her better judgement, Ursa carefully pushed to door open, only to be greeted by a horrific sight that burned her eyes as they were.

"Marcus Flint! For Merlin's sake, show some decency!" Ursa shrieked.

"Why do you have to be such a stick in the mud, Malfoy?" Marcus muttered.

"Why do you have to be doing… this in a classroom of all places! Why not a broom closet?" Ursa demanded, her hand still shielding her eyes.

"Well, there's not much room to do stuff in a broom closet," Marcus remarked. "And you can free your eyes. I'm decent."

"That's debatable," Ursa muttered as she removed her hand from her eyes, with her eyes locking on an embarrassed looking Oliver Wood. "Wood, fancy seeing you here."

"Malfoy," he acknowledged her.

"Now, as much as I knew this was going to happen sooner or later, I would like to just know… when," Ursa said.

"It's a recent development," Marcus stated.

"How recent?" Ursa wondered.

Marcus shrugged, "Like, two weeks?"

"And you were going to tell me this when?" Ursa drawled.

"Why are you so interested in my sex life anyways? That's kinda weird," Marcus remarked.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Oh please. I am only 'interested' as you say since your bizarre infatuation with Oliver Wood has been a distraction to your studies so I must say that I am pleased that you finally got your act together and… got in his pants."

"What does she know about this?" Oliver hissed.

"Everything, cause she's a know-it-all swot who took it upon herself to meddle with my life," Marcus replied.

"Oh, don't look like a dear caught in headlights, Wood. I'm not going to tell anyone if that's what you're worried about. I realise how important your antagonistic reputations are to both of you," Ursa stated.

"Good, now if you'll just let us get back to where we were," Marcus drawled.

"Oh, no you don't. I will not let you two ruin the sanctuary of the classrooms. You will leave and head back to your common rooms before you force me to draw my hand and dock points because I will," Ursa said.

"Guess we'll have to finish this off another night," Marcus muttered.

"I don't think you will. Any spare time that you have away from Quidditch should be spent studying so that you don't have to repeat your seventh year again, not shagging your rival captain," Ursa ordered.

"Fine!" Marcus snapped. "Who made you the boss of the world?"

"I'm a prefect which is close enough," Ursa quipped. "Now _leave_. Separately."

"Later then," Oliver muttered as he left.

Ursa crossed her arms and glared at Marcus once Oliver left. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing you won't yell at me for," Marcus commented.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner! I've seen you like four times in the past two weeks!" Ursa exclaimed.

"Hey, I like to have some privacy," Marcus argued.

"Yet you chose to shag Oliver in a public classroom?" Ursa stated.

"It's for the thrill of it," Marcus said. "And it's not like we were 'shagging' as you put it. Of course you wouldn't understand because the only action you get is from your pencil."

"Hey!" Ursa cried. "Now, you're in luck that I have a previous engagement that I need to attend to so I will leave you be for now and interrogate you at another time."

"Good luck finding me then," Marcus remarked as he left the room.

"We are so talking about this later!" Ursa called after him.

Once Ursa had got over the initial shock of catching Marcus and Oliver in that… compromising position, she couldn't help but smirk to herself with satisfaction. The only thing that was really surprising was that Marcus had actually done something about his little crush, since Ursa had expected him to just leave Hogwarts without ever doing anything about it. Nevertheless, he had proven her wrong and Ursa was just glad that it meant she wouldn't have to put up with him mooning over Oliver anymore.

Since Ursa really didn't want to be in the same room where those two had been borderline shagging in only moments ago, she quickly left to go find Hermione so that they could get started. It didn't take her long to find Hermione only a few hallways away.

"Ursa, there you are! I've been looking for you," Hermione stated.

"Yeah, sorry," Ursa apologised awkwardly. "I got… distracted on the way over."

"Are you okay? You're looking rather… disturbed," Hermione commented.

Ursa sighed, "Considering I just caught the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch captains almost shagging in a classroom, I'd say I'm feeling quite disturbed."

Hermione gaped at her. "You mean… Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too. But hey, I guess stranger things have happened than inter-house relationships, am I right?" Ursa remarked. "And um, you wouldn't mind keeping that a secret, would you? I've been sworn to secrecy by Flint."

"Um, okay?" Hermione replied.

"Now, let's get back to the issue at hand here," Ursa stated.

"It's just wrong," Hermione commented.

"I know. We have to find a way to save Buckbeak," Ursa said.

"No, I mean… Flint and Wood," Hermione shuddered.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, "I didn't think that you would be against homosexuality, Minnie."

"I'm not," Hermione insisted. "It's just…. Flint and Wood. The thought of those two together, doing _that _in a classroom, nonetheless, is outrageous! Not to mention, the activity itself is indecent."

"I guess when you put it that way," Ursa chuckled.

"Please don't tell me that you've ever done that in a classroom," Hermione recoiled.

Ursa scoffed, "Of course not. Firstly, I wouldn't be able to look at a classroom the same way again after engaging in such activities. Though, it I was to do that I would do it somewhere I wouldn't be caught foolishly like Flint and Wood just were. Then again, it's not like there'd be any other places for them to shag like rabbits since they're supposed to be a secret. They could always use the Quidditch rooms, though."

"Ursa!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's just…. Wrong and I cannot believe that you, as a Ravenclaw Prefect, would even consider partaking in such activities."

Ursa rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on, Hermione. Remember, I do come from a line of Slytherins, so I do have a little of that sneakiness in me. But I can assure you that I would never deflower a classroom in such a way. A broom closet, perhaps. But never a classroom."

"Then I guess I can accept that," Hermione mumbled.

With their attention diverted from Ursa's discovery of Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood, their focus was back on Buckbeak where it belonged. Buckbeak's trial was just over two weeks away, and they were running out of time to come up with a defence to spare the innocent creature. At least now Ursa knew what had been keeping Marcus so distracted in their last few study sessions.

~*•°•*~

It was only a few days before Buckbeak's execution when Ursa saw Marcus again. True to his word, he had avoided her since she caught him practically shagging Oliver. There was also the fact that the final Quidditch match of the year was the highly anticipated showdown between Gryffindor and Slytherin that had him less than focused on his studies. Gryffindor had won, and Ursa had heard that Marcus was in a depressed hole, but she was relentless and finally managed to track Marcus down so she could interrogate him.

"You have some explaining to do," Ursa stated as they sat down in their usual spot behind the Quidditch stands.

"Do I have to?" Marcus grumbled.

"Yes," Ursa insisted. "Though, I must say that you don't look as depressed as your teammates are making you out to be."

"Well, I did have Wood to cheer me up after that loss if you know what I mean," Marcus replied as he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ursa groaned, "I don't even _want _to know what you mean. But wait, it's only been like what, a month? How can you go from fist fights with Oliver to shagging him in the span of a month?"

"Well, if you must know, the night of the Quidditch final was the first time we 'shagged' as you put it. It's not like we were even doing that much that night you so rudely barged in on us. You're just a prude," Marcus explained.

"Oh, forgive me not thinking to knock in a classroom when it's past curfew and there shouldn't have been anyone in there to begin with!" Ursa exclaimed.

"Well, sneaking around is the only way Wood and I can get up to anything," Marcus said.

"So just tell me how it happened," Ursa stated.

"Well, it was after the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match. Wood was pissed at me for trying to 'sabotage' Potter," Marcus started.

"That's exactly what you were doing," Ursa interjected.

Marcus glared at her, "_Anyways, _he was just going on about how I'm always trying to sabotage him and about how much of a jerk I am."

"Ouch. That must not have been nice to hear," Ursa remarked.

"It wasn't," Marcus admitted. "So, me being the impulsive idiot that I am said something along the lines of 'maybe I'm such a jerk to you because I'm into you.' And that was it."

"How did he react?" Ursa wondered.

"He was… flabbergasted. Didn't say anything for a few minutes while I was debating if I should just run, but I didn't. Then he just snogged the shit out of me," Marcus replied.

"And so your wet dreams became a reality," Ursa commented.

"My wet dreams didn't become a reality until the Quidditch final, thank you very much," Marcus snapped.

Ursa rolled her eyes, "So, you've snogged and you've shagged. Now what?"

Marcus shrugged, "Wood's gonna try out for Puddlemere at the end of the year while I'm going for Montrose. I think we're just gonna see where it goes. It's not anything serious at the moment."

"I don't know, I'd consider shagging to be pretty serious," Ursa remarked.

"I'm only going to go for Montrose if I can get the fuck out of this place," Marcus grumbled.

"Which you will," Ursa insisted. "Now, we can stop gossiping about Oliver Wood and put our focus back to what really matters here: getting you to graduate."

"Salazar be with me," Marcus muttered.

And so, Ursa went back to giving Marcus a crash course about everything he'd need to have a basic understanding of in order to pass his N.E.W.T.s. Although Ursa had heard of people repeating their seventh year before, she doesn't think that she's heard of anyone doing it three times, so she wasn't going to let Marcus do that.

"So, what's the deal with you and Granger?" Marcus asked.

"What do you mean?" Ursa said.

"The whole Hippogriff nonsense. Your twat of a brother has done nothing but complain about you 'fraternising with the enemy' in the common room. It's exhausting to put up with," Marcus replied.

"Yeah, well, since Draco is so determined to be a bigoted asshole and stand by while an innocent creature gets slaughtered because of him, I'm going to do everything I can to save Buckbeak," Ursa proclaimed.

"But do you really think you're going to do that?" Marcus wondered.

"No," Ursa sighed. "I know that I'm probably fighting a lost cause and that the execution will probably go ahead as planned. But I'm not going to give up on Buckbeak. It won't be over until the executioner swings."

"For what it's worth, I hope you get your way. It's funny when your little shit of a brother doesn't get what he wants," Marcus snickered.

"Even if it means putting up with his whining and complaining?" Ursa asked.

Marcus nodded. "Even with that."

Despite Ursa's best attempts to remain hopeful, she knew that the chances of sparing Buckbeak were slim, but Ursa just wasn't willing to break that news to Hermione since she knew how much the younger girl cared for the poor creature. So in the days leading up to the appeal, Ursa worked tirelessly with Hermione and never voiced her doubts about the cause that they were fighting for.

So when Ursa received a letter from her mother informing her that Buckbeak's appeal had failed, she was not surprised, but still devastated, nonetheless. Ursa didn't think that she'd ever been as mad and disappointed at her brother and father than when she read the later that almost broke her heart. As Ursa read that letter, she couldn't help but think of the only words of advice that she remembered her father had ever said to her and how true they felt now.

_One of these days, Ursa, that heart of yours is going to get you into trouble. You always have more to lose the more you care._

And Ursa's bleeding heart was definitely hurting now so as much as it pained her to admit it, her father had been right about that. Now, Ursa had to break the news to Hermione who she knew wouldn't take it any better than she did.

* * *

**So Flintwood lives on, yay! As for Buckbeak, well… we all know how that turns out. I'm actually writing a separate Flintwood piece along with my other stories and assessment work cause I just love punishing myself so look out or that if you stan rare pairings like Flintwood. Next chapter will mark the end of PoA before I move on to the GoF but I'm considering making a major plot change for that year which I'll ask you guys for your thoughts on next chapter.**


	23. To the Rescue

Ursa walked with a scowl on her face as she headed towards Hagrid's Hut. She knew that Buckbeak's execution would be taking place on that day and even though it was her father's fault that it was happening, Ursa still felt some degree of guilt about it. So that was why Ursa was heading towards Hagrid's Hut so she could give Buckbeak one last goodbye. She felt as though she owed the Hippogriff that much after she failed it. Ursa knocked on the door of Hagrid's Hut and there was no ignoring the sad whimpering that she could here from inside before Hagrid opened the door.

"Oh, it's only yeh, Malfoy," Hagrid sighed.

"Hagrid, I'm really sorry about the appeal. I honestly did try my hardest to fight for Buckbeak, but I guess my best wasn't just good enough this time," Ursa apologised.

"It's not yer fault, Malfoy. Yer father was just too good. Now Buckbeak's goin' to die!" Hagrid wailed.

"I'm truly sorry," Ursa insisted. "But I was just wondering if I could say goodbye to Buckbeak."

"Of course yeh can. He could use some company. Me cryin' won't help no one," Hagrid cried.

In the past, Ursa found Hagrid's obsession with animals to be a bit over the top, but she couldn't help but find his love for Buckbeak endearing. Ursa could see that Buckbeak was tied to a pole to keep him down, and Ursa could only think how wrong that was. Buckbeak was a Hippogriff, he should be flying high in the sky, not tied to a rope to keep him down.

"I'm sorry this had to happen to you, Buckbeak," Ursa couldn't help but apologise as she gave his beak a gentle pat. "I really did try to save you, but I just couldn't do it. I wish I could just set you free and let you fly, but that would only get Hagrid in trouble, and he doesn't deserve that."

There had been a brief moment when Ursa came down to Hagrid's hut that she considered freeing Buckbeak, but she realised that doing so would result in the blame falling on Hagrid. So as much as Ursa hated to think it, she knew that Buckbeak's fate was sealed, and she had no doubt that Draco was somewhere cackling to himself as an innocent creature was slaughtered because of him.

"Well, Malfoy, I think yeh should be headin' off now. They'll be comin' shortly," Hagrid said after she had a few moments with Buckbeak.

Ursa sighed, "Okay. And again, I'm truly sorry that this had to happen, Hagrid. It's probably one of the biggest injustices that I've ever seen."

"It sure is," Hagrid sniffed.

After giving Buckbeak one last sombre look, Ursa began to walk away from Hagrid's Hut. It was taking everything in her resolve for Ursa to not just lose her cool about this injustice, but she knew that she'd be doing nobody any favours. Whether she liked it or not, Buckbeak was going to be executed and there was nothing she could do about it. That much was made clear as she saw the executioner, Minister Fudge and Professor Dumbledore heading her way. Not wanting to cross paths with them, Ursa detoured to the side.

As Ursa made her way back to the Hogwarts castle, she turned back to see that the three of them had reached Hagrid's Hut. A sudden wave of determination washed over Ursa and she refused to let Buckbeak's end come like this. The only way to save Buckbeak was to free him, and Ursa knew just how to do that. Since the executioner, Dumbledore and Fudge were heading there now, Ursa figured that they just needed to see Buckbeak in front of the hut so that they wouldn't blame Hagrid if he got free. Then Ursa would sneak there to untie the Hippogriff to spare him from his cruel fate.

So with that in mind, Ursa marched towards Hagrid's Hut once again except this time she was determined to do the right thing. Out of the corner of her eyes, Ursa could've sworn that she saw three figures exiting Hagrid's Hut as the three new arrivals approached it and she instantly spotted Hermione's wild hair amongst them. Ursa figured that it had to be Hermione and her two friends, since she knew that Hermione had reconciled with them after the news about Buckbeak's trial had been released. Once they were out of the way, Ursa headed towards Hagrid's hut and she had every intention of saving Buckbeak.

~*•°•*~

Travelling back in time to save Buckbeak and Sirius Black had been a brilliant idea on Dumbledore's part, and Hermione just wished that she had thought of it herself. Hermione had taken Harry with her, and they were now heading towards Hagrid's Hut where she knew their past selves would be. They watched as their past selves headed towards the Whomping Willow, which was expected but what was not expected was Hermione spotting another figure heading to Hagrid's Hut after the executioner, Fudge and Dumbledore headed that way.

"Who is that?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied.

They watched as the unidentified figured seemed to approach Buckbeak, which caused them to quicken their pace as they didn't know what the person was doing. As they got closer, Hermione gasped as she recognised who was there, and it seemed that Harry recognised them as well.

"What's Malfoy's sister doing here?" Harry hissed.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, which was true. She had no idea that Ursa would be going to Hagrid's on the day of Buckbeak's execution, but then she figured that she shouldn't be surprised that Ursa would be here as well.

"What do we do now, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"We continue with the plan," Hermione answered.

"But it's Malfoy's _sister_. I know that you were animal rights activists together but you'd really risk doing this with her?" Harry argued.

"Just trust me, Harry. It'll work out. We're wasting time," Hermione insisted, leaving Harry with no time to argue as she grabbed his hand and headed back towards Hagrid's.

Hermione could see that Ursa was trying to free Buckbeak, although the Hippogriff seemed to be resisting her assistance. Hermione knew that they had to act fast before they all got caught, so she quickly made her move with Harry before they caught Ursa's attention. When Ursa turned around and saw them, she had obviously just seen their past selves exiting Hagrid's Hut and was simply baffled by their sudden appearance.

"Hermione?" Ursa gasped as she turned her head back and forth, looking back at their past selves as they retreated towards the Whomping Willow. "What are you doing? How? Why?"

Hermione pointed at the Time Turner around her neck and a look of understanding morphed onto Ursa's face.

"Well, it's about time that you used that thing for something other than classes," Ursa remarked.

"We're here to save Buckbeak," Hermione said.

"Already ahead of you," Ursa grinned, and Hermione gave Harry one look to know that he was baffled by this interaction.

"Hermione?" Harry hissed in alarm.

"I'll explain later. Right now we've got to move before they come back out," Hermione said.

The three of them worked together to help free Buckbeak, and the baffled look from Harry was enough to show how he felt about the situation. They managed to get Buckbeak away safely just as the three stepped outside Hagrid's Hut again. With Buckbeak now free and spared from his awful fate, Ursa couldn't hide the grin on her face as she lead the bird away while Harry and Hermione followed, though Ursa quickly took notice how beat up the two of them looked.

"What happened to you two?" Ursa asked.

"We're just about to get attacked by the Whomping Willow," Hermione replied.

"What are you doing now?" Ursa questioned.

"Now we have to save ourselves from the Dementors," Hermione answered.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Ursa wondered.

"Just keep Buckbeak nearby in case we need him," Hermione said.

"You got it," Ursa nodded before turning to Harry. "Don't look _that _shocked, Potter. You should know that I'm not all bad."

And with that, Ursa lead Buckbeak away while Harry and Hermione headed back towards the Forbidden Forest. Now came the part that Hermione was nervous about, Harry's reaction to her friendship with Ursa. He stayed quiet until they watched themselves go into the Whomping Willow.

"So, Hermione. I know that I should be more shocked about the fact that we've gone back in time, but I'd have to say that I'm even more shocked about the fact that you seem to be friends with _Malfoy_!" Harry exclaimed.

"Malfoy's _sister_. And her name is _Ursa_," Hermione clarified.

"Why? How? When? _Why_?" Harry demanded.

"Because she's certainly not as bad as Draco and surely you can admit that Harry. She was the only person who took me seriously about Buckbeak's case and while you and Ron were off giving me the silent treatment, Ursa was being the friend that I needed," Hermione explained.

"Okay, but when? How long have you been lying to us and hanging around Malfoy's sister?" Harry questioned.

"Since first year," Hermione answered, rolling her eyes at the outraged look on Harry's face. "Before you start going off on me, Harry, just know that Ursa was actually the first friend that I made here. She approached me for no reason other than to be my friend. She came to comfort me after I was upset at Ron before the troll incident. And you should know that you wouldn't have been able to defeat the Basilisk. Ursa was the one who figured out that it was a Basilisk and she was the one who planted the note in my hand before you found it."

Harry sighed, "And you really trust her as a friend?"

"She's done so much for me, Harry. She's the closest female friend that I've ever had, and if Ursa as a Malfoy can look past my blood status and befriend me, then you should be able to look past her surname and see her for the person she is on the inside," Hermione said.

"We'll see," Harry muttered.

They continued waiting until they saw themselves exiting the Whomping Willow, and it didn't take long for things to escalate in the way that things had. When Hermione saw Remus going to attack Harry in his werewolf form, Hermione called out as a werewolf, though Remus seemed to think that was a call for him to come. Panic started to set in and they started running into the Forbidden Forest again, with Remus the werewolf right behind them.

"Come on, Hermione!" Harry yelled as they ran through forest.

They hid behind a tree as Remus walked around them, and for a moment Hermione thought that they had managed to avoid the werewolf until she heard a loud cry and turned to her left to see Remus running towards them. Hermione instantly ducked for cover in Harry's arms, but an attack never came. Instead, Hermione heard what sounded like Buckbeak coming to the rescue, and Remus' attention on them was quickly replaced on Buckbeak. Hermione looked around to see Ursa appearing from the trees and had never been more grateful to see her than she was now.

"It sounded like you guys could use some help," Ursa remarked.

"Thanks… Ursa," Harry said, which earned a look of surprise from both her and Hermione before he turned his attention back to Hermione. "Now what do we do?"

"We save Sirius, and you can come with us, Ursa," Hermione replied.

"And how do we save Sirius?" Harry asked.

"No idea," Hermione admitted.

"Okay, I'm a little lost here but I'm just going to go with it," Ursa remarked as she followed after Harry and Hermione.

Along the way, Hermione was able to fill Ursa in on the bits and pieces of what had transpired in 'the past' and that they now knew the truth about Sirius Black's innocence. On one hand, Ursa was smug to be right but then she was disgusted at the fact that an innocent man had been imprisoned for a crime that he didn't commit and was now about to be punished for it.

"We're right here!" Harry yelled as they approached the clearing.

At first, Ursa didn't know what they were 'saving' Sirius from, but when Ursa felt air turn cold around her and started to feel a dreadful loss of happiness, she realised that it was from the Dementors. Despite the Dementors sneaking into the Hogwarts Express at the start of the year, Ursa had never actually encountered one before and despite generally jumping into things head first, she found herself anxiously anticipating what was to happen next.

When Ursa saw what came up, she was borderline speechless. Ursa felt helpless as she watched Harry, Hermione and Sirius' past selves be attacked by the Dementors. She could see that Harry was trying to fend them off with a Patronus, but it was not strong enough to get rid of them all. If Ursa had the ability to produce a Patronus, she would've been whipping out her wand and casting it with no hesitation.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked urgently.

"The only way to truly get rid of a Dementor is a Patronus. But it would have to take an incredibly powerful wizard to get rid of all these dementors," Ursa explained.

"Can't you do one?" Hermione begged.

"No," Ursa shook her head. "I've never even attempted to cast a Patronus before so there is no way that I could do one to get rid of them all."

"My dad will come. He'll save us from the Dementor's," Harry replied.

"What?" Ursa gasped. "How?"

"I don't know! I just - I just _know _that I saw him cast the Patronus. It was a stag, the same as his Animagus form," Harry answered.

There were no logical thoughts going through Ursa's mind at that point. All she could do was just stand there and helplessly watch as the three of them lost the battle with the Dementors.

"This is horrible," Ursa murmured.

"My dad will come. I know it," Harry insisted.

"Harry, no one is coming," Hermione stated.

"You have to believe me, Hermione. I know what I saw. I saw his Patronus right here," Harry proclaimed.

"But we'll die," Hermione whispered.

"It'll be much, much, _much _worse than death," Ursa said.

"He'll come. Don't worry," Harry insisted.

It was then that a logical thought entered Ursa's mind. They say that time is a loop, and if Harry truly saw a Patronus here, then the chances were that he saw _himself _casting the Patronus instead of his father.

"Potter, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your dad is _dead_. The only person who can save you is you!" Ursa exclaimed.

Harry glared at her, "If you don't have anything good to say Malfoy, then shut your damn mouth."

"No, Potter, don't you understand? Time is a loop. We are standing here and you saw a stag Patronus _here_!" Ursa clarified.

That finally seemed to get through to Harry, since before Ursa had even finished speaking, Harry was running forward with his wand ready before he belted out a loud and powerful Expecto Patronum. Ursa watched in awe as a beautiful stag came from Harry's wand, and just as she expected it to, it warded off the Dementors. It truly was a beautiful and powerful sight, and Ursa could not deny that she was impressed by what Harry was capable of doing. The Dementors were helpless against the Patronus as they left the area, leaving Harry, Hermione and Sirius by the lake as the three of them passed out.

"I did it," Harry breathed out in shook.

"Harry, that was _incredible," _Hermione gasped. "You just produced a corporeal Patronus! That's incredibly advanced magic like I've never seen."

"Malfoy was right," Harry said as he turned to face them. "I knew I could do it now because well, I'd already done it… Does that make sense?"

"I don't know – Harry, look it's Snape!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What happens next?" Ursa asked.

"We have to wait until Macnair comes to get the Dementors," Harry replied.

"So we wait," Hermione said as they walked backwards into the Forbidden Forest where Buckbeak was waiting for them. An awkward silence fell over them until Harry broke it.

"Malfoy – Ursa – I'm not really sure I understand how you became involved with all of this, but I have to thank you for your help. I guess you really are better than your brother since for the past three years, I just thought you were one and the same, but you proved tonight that you're not," Harry proclaimed.

"Thanks, Harry. It's nice to know that I have your approval," Ursa chuckled.

"One thing I want to know is why didn't you tell us about your friendship with her, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Well, I knew that you and Ron wouldn't understand because of your pre-conceived ideas about the Malfoy's. And Ursa didn't want to put me in an uncomfortable position, but I guess she doesn't care about that anymore since she was more than willing to protest with me in public," Hermione explained.

"I didn't care what anybody thought and quite frankly, I don't care about anything else for that matter. I was just doing the right thing which Draco doesn't understand,' Ursa said.

Before Harry or Hermione could say anything else, they spotted Macnair heading towards the Dementors, and they knew it was time to head off and save Sirius. Ursa had to admit that she was excited about being able to ride Buckbeak as she jumped in front, though Hermione looked more than terrified. It was an exhilarating feeling flying on Buckbeak. It certainly wasn't something that could be compared to simply riding a broomstick. This was on a whole other level.

They managed to get to Flitwick's office where Sirius was being kept and burst the door open. To say that Sirius was surprised to see them was an understatement. First his jaw dropped and then his eyes just about bulged out of his head when he saw Ursa standing with Harry and Hermione. They then grabbed Sirius and headed back off on Buckbeak to a private area before dismounting and recollecting themselves. Hermione and Ursa gave Harry a few brief moments with Sirius before they knew they had to be moving on.

"I must say, kid, when you first found me in the forest and said you could be trusted, I didn't fully trust you. But standing before you now after you just aided in my rescue, I know that you are better than the rest of those purebloods. You give me hope for your family," Sirius said.

"I appreciate that, but I think you really should be heading off now," Ursa replied.

Sirius nodded, "Right you are. I don't know how I could even begin to thank the three of you."

"Go!" Harry and Hermione yelled, and Sirius nodded before taking flight with Buckbeak.

"Shouldn't you two be heading off to the Hospital Wing now?" Ursa asked.

"We should," Hermione replied and grabbed Harry's hand to run off with before turning back to Ursa. "Say good luck."

"Good luck," Ursa said as the duo ran off into the castle.

Upon realising that darkness had fallen, Ursa decided to head back to Ravenclaw Tower. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago, she had resigned herself to feeling like a failure after not being able to save Buckbeak. Now, not only had she helped save Buckbeak, but she had aided in Sirius Black's rescue, and Ursa certainly felt proud for helping Harry and Hermione achieve that.

But in the back of her mind, Ursa was thinking about how she had not only just changed the past, but the future as well now that Harry Potter knew about her friendship with Hermione. He seemed to take it well enough, but Ursa didn't know how him knowing about them would change things, but they were certainly about to get interesting.

* * *

**And so that wraps up the end of Year 3. It didn't take me long to decide to incorporate Ursa into Harry and Hermione's time travelling expedition so I hope that you guys liked that change. Speaking of changes, with the Goblet of Fire about to begin, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it just yet since I do have two different ideas and I'm not sure which one to go with so I'm going to ask for you guys to leave me your thoughts. The first idea is to leave pretty much everything the same except with the addition of Ursa, but then my second idea leaves room for more changes since it involves Ursa actually being the Triwizard Champion for Hogwarts over Cedric and messing with canon. So I'd be very interested to know what you guys think about those potential ideas so that can help me move along with the story.**


	24. Happy Memories

**I've appreciated getting some of the feedback from the last chapter, since I'd very much like to know what you guys think before I go ahead and get into the next year. Just so you guys know, if I do go ahead with my big change of having Ursa as the Triwizard Tournament, she certainly wouldn't die but she would definitely have a greater impact on what already happens.**

* * *

**Happy Memories**

* * *

Ursa let out a sigh of frustration after her sixteenth failed attempt at producing a corporeal Patronus. Now that Ursa could use magic outside of Hogwarts since she no longer had the trace on her, Ursa had been working on perfecting the Patronus charm. After seeing Harry Potter master one with her own eyes, Ursa was determined to discover what her own Patronus was. But despite her best efforts, Ursa had been unsuccessful at casting one anything like the one that Harry had produced. Ursa knew that one needed an incredibly powerful happy memory to produce a corporeal Patronus, so she had tried digging way back into her childhood to find a memory, only for none of them to work. Had her childhood really been that unhappy?

The good thing about not having the trace on her anymore was that Ursa could now leave the Manor whenever she wanted without worrying about her parents tracking her down. Though Ursa still wouldn't be surprised if her parents ended up having someone follow her wherever she went, which made Ursa more relieved that she could now Apparate without needing anyone else's assistance. After having yet another unsuccessful attempt at producing a corporeal Patronus, Ursa decided to leave the Manor and pay a visit to her cousin, Tonks. Although her mother did not leave anywhere near the Manor, Tonks lived close enough to Diagon Alley for Ursa to be able to Apparate there without having to worry about being spotted by anyone.

It was just a relief that Ursa now had the freedom to do whatever she wanted without the trace holding her back, since she could now come and go as she pleased. Ursa had even taken her time to visit Marcus over the break since he had just barely managed to graduate through the skin of his teeth. Ursa was just happy to be able to see her cousin again, since it was nice to have some family members who didn't think that she was a walking disappointment.

"Ursa!" Tonks exclaimed happily when she arrived at her apartment.

"Hey, cousin. I'm just popping by for a visit," Ursa grinned.

"Oh yeah, since you can now legally go anywhere you want without worrying about your freak parents being able to track you down with the trace," Tonks said as she let her in.

"How have you been?" Ursa asked.

"Just enjoying the last year of my Auror training. I can't wait for when I will finally be qualified enough to go on missions by myself without needing a babysitter," Tonks grinned.

Ursa chuckled, "Don't take this the wrong way, Dora, but I think you would still need a babysitter for even when you become an Auror."

"Your lack of confidence in me is hurtful, cousin," Tonks pouted. "Anyways, how are you enjoying being a free adult now?"

"Oh you know, just Apparating and using my magic without the trace. It's fun," Ursa shrugged.

"What kind of magic have you been doing now?" Tonks asked.

"Well, I've been trying to teach myself how to do the Patronus charm," Ursa replied.

"And by trying, I'm assuming that you mean you've been unsuccessful," Tonks stated.

Ursa nodded, "Yep. I keep trying to find the right memory, but nothing is working. It's so frustrating."

"Yeah, it took me a few times before I could get my Patronus right," Tonks commented.

"You can produce a Patronus?" Ursa gasped. "How come you never told me? Show me!"

Tonks laughed as she pulled out her wand, "Okay, eager beaver. Expecto Patronum!"

Ursa watched in amazement as a beautiful jack rabbit came out of Tonks' wand and danced around the room. It was truly a beautiful sight that took Ursa's breath away, leaving her silent even after Tonks had produced it.

"That was beautiful," Ursa smiled. "How'd you do it?"

"I just had to search hard to find the perfect memory. That's what it all comes down to, really. My memory is one of my favourite moments from my childhood, and it was just perfect for my Patronus," Tonks explained.

Ursa sighed, "Clearly I didn't have enough of a happy childhood if I can't even produce a bloody Patronus. That kind of makes me feel sad, actually."

"Awe, Ursa. Just because you can't find the perfect happy memory now doesn't mean that one won't come to you eventually. Maybe you're just trying too hard to find one," Tonks reassured her.

"How old were you when you mastered your Patronus?" Ursa wondered.

"I was fourteen," Tonks replied.

"What!" Ursa exclaimed. "That's amazing, Tonks. I'm almost eighteen and I can't even do one."

"You'll find your Patronus eventually," Tonks promised.

"I'll keep trying," Ursa nodded. "So, what's it been like having Mad-Eye Moody as your trainer?"

Tonks grinned, "Oh, he is the _best_. He might be slightly bonkers, but he's the real deal, you know? But I won't be having him for my final year as a trainee since Hogwarts has snatched him up as the new Defence Professor. Oh, and you wouldn't mind not telling anyone about that, would you?"

"Moody as a Defence Professor? That should be interesting," Ursa remarked.

"Speaking of Hogwarts, how are things looking for the future Head Girl?" Tonks smirked.

"Stop it, Dora. I haven't gotten my letter yet so I don't want to get my hopes up," Ursa replied.

"Oh, as if they could even pick anyone other than you, you're brilliant!" Tonks exclaimed.

"Thanks, Dora," Ursa smiled. "So, what do you do around here for fun?"

"Oh, I can have plenty of fun on my own!" Tonks grinned.

~*•°•*~

After actually having some fun with her cousin, Ursa returned to the depressing house that was Malfoy Manor. In the days that followed, Ursa found herself nervously awaiting the arrival of her Hogwarts letter for what would be her final year at the school. Not knowing if she had made Head Girl or not was driving Ursa mad. There was nothing that Ursa wanted more than to see the look on her father's face if she was made Head Girl. She wanted that so badly, just so she could spite him.

Then, her Hogwarts letter for the year finally came. Ursa didn't even open it immediately. She just stared at it for a few moments, not sure if she even wanted to open it and find out. After staring at it for far too long, Ursa grabbed the letter and tore it open, carefully reading it word for word until she found what she was looking for.

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as Head Girl for the 1994-1995 school year._

All Ursa could do was stare at the letter with bewilderment. It wasn't until she realised that she was crinkling the paper by gripping onto it so tightly that she held it more appropriately, this time as she danced around the family living room in celebration.

Head Girl. She had been made Head Girl! Take _that, _father!

For a moment, Ursa couldn't even believe that it was true, so after her initial celebration died down, Ursa just stared at the letter again, re-reading it. It wasn't until she heard Draco enter the room that she looked up from it.

"What are you doing stomping around in here, acting like a wild muggle? I could hear you stomping all the way down the hall," Draco said.

"I, little brother, have been made Head Girl," Ursa grinned.

"What!? That's impossible! No _way _would they let someone like you have a title as prestigious as that," Draco snarled as he snatched her letter from her hand, his face becoming angr as he read it. "Ugh! I shouldn't even be surprised. Dumbledore is a sodding blood traitor, so of course he'd let someone like you have that spot. I suppose you're going to be on a power trip now, huh?"

"No, I will not, dear brother. I have always wanted to be Head Girl, and I most certainly will not throw this opportunity away," Ursa proclaimed.

"You do realise that being Head Girl means having to patrol the students, right? How can you expect to deal with other imbeciles when you can't even deal with me?" Draco argued.

Ursa smirked, "Did you just call yourself an imbecile?"

"No I did not!" Draco roared. "Let me give you your first test to see if you're _really _cut out to be Head Girl."

Before Ursa could even predict what he was about to do, Ursa watched in horror as Draco made his way to the family heirloom cabinet and picked up a statue that belonged to their great-grandfather, Pollux Black.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you put that down right now you insolent brat!" Ursa hissed.

"That's not a nice way to talk to the younger students, sissy," Draco taunted her.

"I mean it Draco, put it down!" Ursa demanded.

"I wonder how angry mother would be if this got broken?" Draco wondered as he tossed the small ornament between his hands. "Just one little slip and poof, no more statue."

"You wouldn't dare do that because if you do, you'll have to face mother's wrath," Ursa threatened him.

"Oh, really? And what if I told mother that it was you who did it? You know that she'd believe me over you, just like mother and father both love me over you," Draco snarled.

Ouch, that hurt. Even though Ursa wasn't one to have heart to heart conversations with her brother, she knew that he knew that their parents were her biggest insecurity, so for him to use them against her like that hurt.

"Just put it down, Draco!" Ursa demanded.

"No, I think I might have some fun. What is that ridiculous circus act that muggles do? Juggling? I should give that a go," Draco smirked.

"No you won't!" Ursa yelled as she made a dive for Draco, only for him to dodge her.

"Nice try, sis, but I'm a Seeker. I'm supposed to be fast and agile," Draco remarked.

"Not fast enough to beat Potter to the snitch though!" Ursa growled.

The look on Draco's face at that comment would've made Ursa laugh under any other circumstances, but right now she was too angry at her brother to laugh at him. Why did he have to ruin her happiness? Why did he have to be such a damn bully all the time? Ursa made another grab for the statue, but Draco managed to avoid her again. He ended up backing into the wall, causing the portrait hanging above the cabinet to fall down, just narrowly missing the other heirlooms. They continued playing this little game of cat and mouse until Ursa managed to get her hands on it and they both fought to have it in their possession, yanking each other across the room. That went on until they lost their grip on the statue and it went hurling onto the floor, smashing into dozens of tiny pieces.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on in there!" came their mothers voice.

"That's on you," Draco sneered.

All Ursa could do was stand there with a look of complete horror on her face. Their mother soon entered the room and let out a shock gasp when she saw the broken pieces of the statue scattered on the floor.

"Draco Lucius! Ursa Narcissa! What happened here?" their mother just about shrieked. "How could the two of you have let this happen! This was one of the only heirlooms that we had from your great-grandfather Pollux and now it is destroyed! Which one of you did this?"

This was certainly one of those rare times when her mother's scariness could be compared to her father's. Ursa couldn't even remember the last time she saw her mother _this _angry. And Ursa knew that it would only get worse when Draco threw her under the bus. But what he ended up doing shocked Ursa completely.

"It was an accident, Mother. The portrait fell down and it took out great-grandfather Pollux's statue with it," Draco replied, not even looking at Ursa as he did so.

"Oh," their mother stammered, immediately calming down. "I suppose that I can't blame either of you for that then. If only your father had fixed that old portrait hanger like I had asked him to."

"I'm sure that Father asked the house elves to do it, but those rotten little creatures just love to be disobedient," Draco jeered.

"I suppose that we should get this mess cleaned up, then. Hang on, what is this?" her mother said as she bent down, picking up a piece of paper that Ursa recognised as her Hogwarts letter.

"Oh, that's just my Hogwarts letter. I must have dropped it," Ursa said.

"Let's see what books you need this year," her mother commented as she read the letter before gasping. "Head Girl? You made Head Girl? Oh, my brilliant girl. This is fantastic! It has been generations since someone from the Black _or _Malfoy family was made Head Girl. I don't think I could be any prouder of you!"

Before Ursa knew it, she was being pulled into a crushing hug by her mother, and Ursa couldn't help but hug her back. As she did so, Ursa glanced at Draco who kept an indistinguishable look on his face. It was only a few seconds later when their father came bursting in to ruin the moment.

"What is the meaning of this ruckus?" her father demanded.

"Oh, Lucius. It's wonderful! Our brilliant daughter has been made Head Girl!" her mother exclaimed.

"That's all well and good, but what is the meaning of this mess?" Lucius said.

"Oh, that loose portrait hanger knocked my grandfather Pollux's statue down," Narcissa replied.

"I'll have one of the House Elves clean it up," Lucius murmured.

"But isn't it wonderful, Lucius? A Black _and _a Malfoy has been made Head Girl! I always knew that our brilliant daughter could do it," Narcissa grinned.

Ursa had to resist the urge to say that her mother had never actually _said _that to her, but Ursa didn't want to ruin this moment while it lasted. For once her mother was actually happy for her, though it would be better if her father could share the same happiness.

"We should celebrate this momentous occasion!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"Well, we can't do it tonight. Draco and I will be going to the Quidditch World Cup," Lucius stated.

"In the Minister's Box," Draco added.

Ursa had almost forgotten about the stupid Quidditch World Cup. Draco had only been going on about it since their father had invited him, and under any other circumstances, Ursa would have been ticked off at the fact that she wasn't invited but since it was Quidditch, she didn't really care. Ursa would much rather stay at home and do something productive rather than go to a stupid Quidditch game.

"No matter! Ursa and I can celebrate while the two of you have your fun!" Narcissa declared.

"Come, Draco. You should be getting ready now," Lucius ordered.

"Yes, Father," Draco nodded.

As Draco left the family room, Ursa couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that he _hadn't _dobbed her into mother like she thought he would. He hadn't even made any jeering comments as their mother celebrated her achievement. Ursa couldn't even remember the last time that Draco had gotten her out of trouble, since he had done nothing but the obvious for years now. With that thought in mind, Ursa decided that perhaps Draco would finally start growing up and stop being such a rotten little turd. At least she hoped so.

* * *

**Yay for Ursa! In your face, Lucius! And what's that? Draco not being a little shit for once? You guys can consider Year Four a strong turning point in the story, both for Ursa's relationship with Draco and the incoming dramione development. This is only the beginning of the change that is coming.**


	25. Change in the Air

**It's time for another update as we start to see where things are going for Ursa in her final year at Hogwarts, which will certainly be her toughest one yet regardless of where the plot goes.**

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**Change in the Air**

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The holidays came and went, and it was soon time for Draco and Ursa to return to Hogwarts. This was going to be Ursa's biggest year yet, since she was walking into her final year as Head Girl which meant that she was going to be more busy than usual, but Ursa was up for the challenge. There was also a cloud hanging over everyone as they returned to Hogwarts, with the events at the World Cup still being fresh on everyone's minds. Ursa was trying not to think about what happened there, since she figured that it was a situation that she would rather stay ignorant about.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, they were all ushered to the Great Hall for the welcoming feast like always, and the usual discussion for everyone was who the new Defence Professor would be, even though Ursa already knew thanks to her cousin's blabber mouth. As per usual, Dumbledore went through his welcoming speech until he was interrupted by a disturbance that was resolved by Mad Eye Moody's sudden appearance before he was officially introduced as their new Defence Professor. Then Dumbledore continued with his speech, until he said something that instantly caught Ursa's attention.

"It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

Whispers immediately broke out in the crowd and people even laughed at the announcement. Ursa probably would've laughed too if she wasn't so speechless. Of course Ursa knew about the Triwizard Tournament since it was only one of the most infamous events in wizarding history. As Dumbledore explained the Triwizard Tournament, Ursa's look of bafflement turned into a grin as she realised what this meant. The three schools that competed in the tournament were Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Ursa's cousin attended Beauxbatons, and was even in the same year as her, which could only mean that her cousin would be coming to Hogwarts and that Ursa could be seeing her cousin in person for the first time in years.

They were then dismissed after the feast and headed to their dormitories, though all anyone could talk about was the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Isn't it cool?" Tessa grinned as they headed towards Ravenclaw Tower. "This tournament is gonna be awesome."

"Sure, but Quidditch is cancelled because of it," Roger grumbled.

"We should just be glad that Flint and Wood have left now. Could you imagine the riot they would have started if they were here for that announcement?" Tessa remarked.

Ursa couldn't help but snort to herself, since she knew that Tessa was right. Marcus and Oliver had always been the two biggest Quidditch fanatics for as long as she had been at Hogwarts, and she had no doubt that they would have been seething at Quidditch being cancelled for something like the Triwizard Tournament.

"There would've been hell to pay if they were here for that," Ursa agreed.

"So, are you guys going to enter?" Tessa asked.

Roger shrugged, "I might give it a go. I don't know."

"Well, _I'm _going to go for it. It would be nice to finally be noticed around here for my own accomplishments," Tessa proclaimed. "What about you, Ursa?"

Ursa shrugged. "I don't know. I kind of want to throw my name in the hat and just see how it turns out."

"Aren't you already busy enough with Head Girl duties? And besides, what would you even have to gain from the tournament? It's not like you need money and you're already great on your own," Tessa pointed out, though Ursa could faintly notice some bitterness in Tessa's voice.

"It wouldn't be about the money for me. It would just be nice to prove myself worthy of something as prestigious as the Triwizard Tournament. My accomplishments are always downgraded because I'm a Malfoy so for once, I just want to feel like I really earned something on my own merits," Ursa stated.

"I would've thought that you'd be above entering yourself in something as dangerous and reckless as the Triwizard Tournament," Roger commented.

"So did I. But it would just be nice to have an accomplishment like that for myself. Maybe then both of my parents would actually be proud of me," Ursa said.

"It would be nice for me to have a moment without my best friend always hogging the spotlight," Tessa muttered, though Ursa could only faintly make out what she said and chose not to acknowledge it.

"Hey, don't your cousins go to Beauxbatons?" Roger asked.

Ursa grinned. "They do! And my eldest is in the same year as us which means that she'd be coming. At least I hope so. It's been so long since I've seen them."

"How come?" Tessa wondered.

"You know why," Ursa grumbled. "Because my father is just an absolute git about who we associate with, and apparently they're not good enough because their mother's blood is questionable."

"Your father is an asshole," Tessa remarked.

"You got that right," Ursa muttered.

"How'd your parents react to you being Head Girl?" Roger asked.

Ursa shrugged, "My mother was proud and bought me a new necklace but my mother is the kind of mother that thinks spoiling her children is the best way to show them love. As for my father, he refrained from making any ludicrous remarks and congratulated me from my efforts but that was it before he whisked Draco away to the World Cup."

"It was awesome, a part from the whole Death Eater nonsense," Tessa commented.

"I wouldn't call it nonsense since we should be worried if the Death Eaters are on the move again. They're not a force that should be underestimated," Ursa said.

"Let's just see if we can get through the school year with some kind of normality," Roger remarked.

Ursa scoffed, "How do you expect anything to be normal about this year with the Triwizard Tournament here? That's basically asking for trouble."

"We'll just wait and see how long it takes before everything turns to shit," Tessa said.

With this being their final year at Hogwarts, Ursa really didn't quite know what to expect from it, especially with the Triwizard Tournament being involved now. Ursa hadn't even been sure of it when she mentioned possibly throwing her name in the cup, but now her words were definitely on her mind. It would be nice to prove herself once and for all, but Ursa was never the kind to just jump the gun and do something on a whim. If she was really going to enter her name into the Triwizard Tournament, she was going to have to give it a long and hard thought before doing so.

~*•°•*~

Now that Ursa had her Head Girl duties to attend to, she didn't have as much spare time like she used to in previous years which meant that Ursa was yet to find time to see Hermione again. Though from what she had heard so far, Hermione was causing quite the fuss with the House Elves. The talk from everyone was about the Triwizard Tournament, with people constantly discussing putting their names in or arguing about the age limit. The only people who could enter the tournament were seventh years and a select few sixth years who have already had their birthday. Ursa wasn't even sure if she should be surprised at the fact that most people seemed to be excited about the tournament rather than nervous about it.

Classes had begun, and Ursa's last class on the first day had been Defence. Ursa was quite intrigued to see how Mad-Eye Moody was as a teacher, and he certainly lived up to his name. Ursa had been left gobsmacked as Moody willingly showed the three Unforgiveable Curses to their class. While her classmates were intrigued, Ursa was mortified. After all, those curses were unforgiveable for a reason and Ursa couldn't believe that Moody would just show them off in a classroom like he did, even with his status as an Auror.

Like always, everyone joined together in the Great Hall for dinner after the first day of classes, and everyone who'd had Moody as a teacher was talking about his lesson.

"I always knew that Mad-Eye Moody was a bit well… mad…but I never expected him to be like that," Tessa commented as they sat at dinner.

"I can't believe that Moody would have the audacity to use those curses in a classroom. I hope that he isn't showing them to the younger students," Ursa stated.

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Ursa. Moody himself said that we're allowed to see the curses once we're in our sixth year. It's not like Moody was using them on someone, and that's probably the closest that any of us will ever get to seeing the Unforgiveables. At least now we know what they can do," Tessa argued.

"You shouldn't even _want _to know what they can do! And their names are pretty self-explanatory. The Killing Curse, the Imperious Curse and the Torture Curse. You shouldn't need a demonstration to know what those curses are capable of," Ursa proclaimed.

"It was just a spider," Tessa scoffed.

"So what? All life is sacred regardless of how evil or bloodthirsty it might be," Ursa argued.

"Even You-Know-Who? Or your psychotic aunt?" Tessa pointed out.

"Yes, even them. Everyone should be treated like they're worth giving a chance," Ursa stated.

"You're weird," Tessa muttered.

Dinner continued as usual, with the talk of the Great Hall remaining the same, so Ursa lost interest to the multiple conversations that were going on around her as she read her Arithmancy textbook. It wasn't until Ursa started to see people leaving the Great Hall that she realised dinner was over, so Ursa was all too happy to get up and leave, only for a commotion at the entrance to stop them. Ursa groaned as she saw Draco taunting Hermione's friends, since she knew this could only end badly. Sure enough, it did when a comment from Harry set Draco off to the point where he was about to curse him from behind, only for Moody to intervene by transfiguring Draco into a ferret.

Ursa watched in disgust as Moody bounced Draco up and down in his ferret form while everyone around them had the audacity to _laugh_. It only got worse when Draco's friends tried to help him, only for Moody to dump Draco down Crabbe or Goyle's pants. Ursa couldn't really tell who since she had never really been able to tell them apart before. Mortified by what was happening, Ursa rushed over to grab McGonagall for assistance and was relieved when the Transfiguration Professor returned Draco to his normal state before Draco took off running from the Great Hall.

"That was hilarious!" Ursa heard Tessa cackling from beside her.

Ursa turned to glare at her friend, "That was my brother."

"And I'm sure that he did something to deserve that," Tessa snickered.

"Have some compassion for goodness sake!" Ursa snapped before storming out of the Great Hall with every intention of finding her brother.

Ursa was glad to hear McGonagall giving Moody a lecture for his inappropriate behaviour. If McGonagall hadn't done that, Ursa would've been more than glad to put the mad professor in his place. He had no right to abuse his authority as a teacher that way, and Ursa didn't even want to think about how traumatising it had probably been for her brother. Draco had proven to be elusive for several hours before Ursa managed to track him down to an abandoned classroom.

"Draco," Ursa acknowledged him as he entered the room. Her brother instantly turned around, wincing as he did so.

"Here to come and mock me?" Draco snarled.

"No, I'm here to help you," Ursa said.

Draco scoffed, "Why?"

"Because what Moody did to you was absolutely wrong. He had no right to abuse his authority like he did," Ursa replied.

"I'm sure that Potter and everyone else who laughed would disagree," Draco seethed.

Ursa sighed, "What Potter even do to offend you this time?"

"He insulted mother! I wasn't just going to let him get away with that," Draco answered.

"While I agree that Potter should have left mother out of it, that also doesn't give you the right to try and hex him with his back turned. That's a cheap shot, coming from you," Ursa reasoned.

"So what you're saying is that I should've hexed Potter when he was facing me?" Draco clarified.

"You shouldn't have tried to hex him at all because then all you would be doing is getting yourself into more trouble," Ursa stated.

"Because everyone and their mother fucking loves Potter," Draco snarled.

"Are you hurt?" Ursa asked in an attempt to distract Draco from another anti-Potter rant.

"I think my ribs are bruised," Draco muttered.

"Listen, when Moody, you know… dumped you down his pants. Did you… you know, experience it?" Ursa asked.

"All of it," Draco spat.

"That is… unfortunate," Ursa said.

"You better believe that I'm gonna be going straight to father about this!" Draco proclaimed.

"Good, because you should," Ursa agreed.

"He's going to make Moody wish he'd never – wait, you agree?" Draco stammered.

Ursa nodded, "Yes, I agree. Like I said, Moody had no right to abuse his authority like that and any student in your position would have every right to inform their parents."

"But you never like Father getting involved in anything," Draco pointed out.

"For this one time I'll make an exception," Ursa stated.

"Good," Draco nodded. "So um, what do you want to do with the Triwizard Tournament?"

Ursa shrugged, "I might just throw my hat into the ring and see how it goes. It'd be nice to prove myself."

"Well, I don't think you could be the _worst _champion we could have," Draco remarked.

"Thanks, Draco," Ursa deadpanned.

It was at that point that Ursa realised that she was actually having a normal conversation without any malice with her brother. They hadn't talked much after he had gotten Ursa off the hook, so she was yet to ask him why he did it in the first place. But that wasn't the most important thing on her mind since Ursa could see that Draco was in pain after being manhandled by Moody.

"We should get you looked at. I'll escort you to Madam Pomfrey," Ursa said.

"No, take me to Snape instead," Draco replied.

"Okay," Ursa conceded, not wanting to start another argument with him.

Their walk to Snape's office was mostly in silence, with Draco occasionally muttering about Potter. It was just nice for them to have a little moment like this, even though Draco was in pain. They eventually made it to Snape's office and the Potions Professor greeted them with his usual expressionless face.

"Draco, Ursa. To what do I owe the interruption?" Snape addressed them.

"Um, Draco is hurt after what Moody did to him in the Great Hall," Ursa replied.

"And why have you not let yourself get looked at until now?" Snape asked Draco.

"Because I didn't want to," Draco muttered.

"I suggested that he went to Madam Pomfrey, but he wanted to see you instead, Professor," Ursa said.

"I suppose that will do. Thank you, Miss Malfoy. You may go now. And five points to Ravenclaw for your assistance," Snape said.

If Ursa had allowed her eyes to widen, they would've. In all her seven years at Hogwarts, Ursa couldn't think of one time that Snape had given her House Points. He'd always taken them away from her, not given her them. But of course it would be because of Draco that she received her first (and probably only) points from Snape. But Ursa was hardly going to complain about it. Instead, she gave Draco one last look before exiting her Potions Professor's office.

Another first for Ursa was her and Draco actually having a pleasant moment at school, since any of their conversations had always been antagonistic at Hogwarts. That, and they also kind of had an unspoken agreement where they didn't speak to each other at school unless it was absolutely necessary. If these first few days were anything to go by, this year was certainly going to be different.

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**And so the year begins, with Ursa and Draco's relationship taking yet another interesting turn. Next chapter we'll finally get to meet their cousins, and here's another friendly reminder that they're not just random characters that I made up ;).**


	26. Familiar Faces

**Every time I keep saying that I'll only wait two weeks at the most before updating again and every time it ends up being longer. This whole lockdown thing is only contributing to my laziness even more. Anyways, here's another chapter that I pulled out so I hope you guys enjoy it.**

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**Familiar Faces**

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Having underestimated just how busy Ursa would be with everything going on in her seventh year, she was still yet to see Hermione since the school year had begun. Ursa had caught a few glimpses of Hermione here and there, but they hadn't had a moment to themselves since the school year started. Ursa didn't spend too long thinking about when she'd see Hermione again, since the arrival of the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang was all Ursa could think about.

As the Hogwarts students sat in the Great Hall on the 30th of October while waiting for their visitors to arrive, Ursa couldn't help but think about the last time she had actually seen her cousins. They were the only extended family that Ursa had ever been able to see growing up, since her father had no other family while both of her aunts on her mothers side were out of the question. Her cousins were related to her through her Grandmother Druella, since her sister had married into the family and had a son before he had two daughters. Both her mother and grandmother had encouraged them to see each other when they were younger, but after her grandmother died, her father did not allow them to see each other. This would be Ursa's first time seeing them since she was nine, and she could not wait for that.

When the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students arrived, Ursa was waiting in the Great Hall as they made their grand entrance. Sure enough, at the front of the Beauxbatons students was a girl who Ursa instantly recognised. It was her cousin, Fleur. Everyone was instantly enchanted by Fleur, and Ursa could not blame them. After all, her cousins' Veela powers were quite hard to resist. Fleur was a half-Veela from her mother, since her father came from Ursa's side of the family.

"That's your cousin?" Roger asked from beside her.

"Yes," Ursa nodded excitedly.

"Ugh, she's a Veela," Tessa stuck out her tongue.

"What's wrong with Veela's?" Ursa asked.

"Nothing, it's just that everyone loves them because they're so beautiful and pretty and gorgeous. What about us normal girls without Veela qualities?" Tessa huffed.

"You said beautiful three times without even needing to," Ursa remarked.

"Whatever," Tessa muttered.

Once the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students made their entrance, they were given spaces at the tables to sit down. Ursa was thrilled when her cousin spotted her and took the nearest seat next to her.

"Ursa, my cousin! Oh how long it has been since we have seen each other!" Fleur exclaimed in French.

"Fleur, I have missed you so much. Where is Gabrielle? I thought she would be here with you," Ursa replied in French as well.

"Gabrielle will be arriving soon. Oh, I am just so excited to see you. And Draco! He is here too, is he not?" Fleur said.

"Yes, but he is in a different house than I am. We don't really talk much at school, either. So don't be surprised if he ignores you," Ursa stated.

Fleur laughed, "Cousin Draco was always quite difficult. Much like Lucius, yes?"

"Unfortunately," Ursa sighed.

When it came to her relationship with her cousins, Ursa had always been closer to them than Draco was. Ursa knew that Draco only tolerated them for their mothers sake, but she knew that Draco did not like them because their father didn't. Though Ursa supposed that another reason why they didn't get along was because of all the embarrassing tea parties they submitted Draco to despite his loathing of those activities.

"Will you be putting your name in the Goblet of Fire, Fleur?" Ursa asked once the Age Line had been drawn.

"Well, of course! I could not think of a better way to challenge myself than to be a Triwizard Champion. It would be simply spectacular, and such an honour to be considered worthy enough. And what about you, cousin? Are you entering? You are of age, are you not?" Fleur said.

Ursa nodded, "I am of age, but I am still considering it. I already have enough on my plate as Head Girl, so I am not quite sure if I can take on the challenge of being a champion."

"It would be incredible if both of us were entered, wouldn't it?" Fleur grinned.

"I think that it would cause quite the stir," Ursa remarked.

"So, are you two going to go back to speaking English any time soon?" Tessa interrupted them.

"My English accent is not quite that good," Fleur said with her thick accent. Ursa had almost forgotten what Fleur's English sounded like, since most of their conversations had always been in French once Ursa was fluent enough.

"I see that," Tessa grimaced.

"Well, Fleur, since you'll be spending your year here, would you like me to show you around?" Ursa offered.

"Of course! I could not think of anyone better to show me around this marvellous school. I have always wondered what Hogwarts would be like," Fleur replied.

That was how Ursa spent the rest of her afternoon. Fleur took in every bit of what Ursa had to say with such fascination. Their tour continued well into the night, with their final stop being the Hogwarts library.

"This is where I spend most of my time," Ursa said.

"I can see why. You always did like your books," Fleur commented. "Oh, cousin. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be here. Hogwarts is wonderful, yes, but I cannot deny that most of the reason why I wanted to come here was just so I could see you again. It has been far too long."

Ursa smiled softly, "I have missed you too, Fleur. The last time we saw each other, Gabrielle was just a baby. How is she now?"

Fleur lit up, "Oh, she is everything I ever wanted in a sister. I treasure her more than anything in the world. There is nothing that I would not do for my little sister."

"I feel the same way, about Draco, I mean. Though I am not quite sure that he would do the same for me," Ursa said.

"You are not close?" Fleur commented.

Ursa shook her head, "No, we are not. We have not been close for years. We were hardly even close to begin with, really, but now we are like strangers. I wish that we were closer."

"I could not even imagine not being close to Gabrielle. I love her more than anything in this world," Fleur gushed.

It was lovely how Fleur spoke of her sister with such love, and without any doubt about her feelings. Ursa almost envied Fleur because of that, because as much as she did want to love Draco, he certainly made it hard for her most of the time. They continued talking together until there was shuffling in the nearest row before whoever it was came to their row and Ursa saw that it was Hermione.

"Hermione! It is lovely to see you again!" Ursa grinned.

"Oh, hello, Ursa," Hermione acknowledged her before looking at Fleur. "Who is this?"

"This is my cousin, Fleur Delacour. She is here from Beauxbatons for the Triwizard Tournament," Ursa replied.

"Lovely to meet you. Cousin Ursa has mentioned you briefly," Fleur said, though Hermione seemed slightly put off by Fleur.

"Yes, well, now that I'm here, I have a lot to talk to you about, Ursa. Are you aware that House Elves are the muggle equivalent of slaves?" Hermione said.

"What?" Ursa remarked.

"They are! It is disgraceful the way that House Elves are treated. The food that we eat every day is the result of slavery and I will not stand for it! That is why I have started an organisation: Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," Hermione explained.

Ursa laughed, "SPEW?"

"It's S.P.E.W., thank you very much," Hermione huffed. "I have been trying to recruit new members since the start of the year, but people do not seem to see anything wrong with the way that House Elves are treated! It is an injustice that I will not stand for!"

"Hermione, do you realise how ridiculous you sound?" Ursa asked.

Hermione's face fell, "You don't support it? I thought that you of all people would understand how unfairly House Elves are treated, especially after the way that your father treated Dobby."

"Yes, well, there is no denying that certain people could stand to treat their House Elves better, but starting a simple movement won't change the way that things have been for centuries, Hermione. I can understand how you would feel such a way, considering muggles history with slavery, but for the House Elves it is very different. Unlike muggle slaves, House Elves actually enjoy their work. It is what they are made to do. You can try and free the House Elves as much as you want, but they will not appreciate your actions. If anything, they would probably be offended by it," Ursa reasoned.

"But you admit that they deserve better treatment!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Maybe they do, but you can not possibly free all of the House Elves," Ursa stated.

"But I will try!" Hermione proclaimed before heading off.

"She seems… fiery?" Fleur commented once Hermione had left.

Ursa snorted, "You haven't even seen half of it."

"Though she did seem quite put off by me, as did your other female friend," Fleur said.

"Why? They've barely met you," Ursa wondered.

"Some people are quite distrusting of us Veela's, as they see us as temptresses trying to woo everyone. Other women are also jealous of us because they simply cannot compare to our natural beauty. That is a ridiculous notion, since we can hardly help our irresistible qualities," Fleur answered.

"Well, it is getting late so I guess I should get you to your sleeping quarters," Ursa stated.

"Of course. I am going to need all of the sleep I can get before the champions are revealed. I am already nervous with anticipation for that," Fleur said.

It was hard not to notice how excited Fleur was about the prospect of becoming a Triwizard champion. And although Ursa had contemplated being a champion, the more she thought about it, the more uncertain she was if that was what she wanted. Despite time running out for the students to enter their names in the Goblet of Fire, for the first time, Ursa was considering leaving something like that to the last minute.

~*•°•*~

In the end, Ursa did wind up throwing her name into the Goblet of Fire at the last minute. It had partially been a reckless decision, one that Ursa was completely questioning now as they waited for Dumbledore to reveal the champions. Did she really want to enter this tournament just to prove a point? Hadn't she proved enough already? Ursa supposed that the Goblet of Fire would be the judge of that.

"This is so exciting!" Tessa exclaimed beside her. "I wonder who the champions are going to be."

"I just hope that they're not anyone who would cause a stir," Ursa remarked.

"Like you?" Tessa commented.

"What do you mean?" Ursa asked.

Tessa rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on, Ursa. Surely you must know that you being the Hogwarts champion wouldn't be everyone's first choice."

"I suppose so," Ursa agreed, since she hadn't really thought of that. She had only thought about her opinion on the matter. Ursa hadn't even considered how people would react to a Malfoy being a champion, which probably wouldn't be that great.

It didn't take long for Dumbledore to enter the Great Hall before he once again explained the rules of the tournament and how the process would work. The time to announce the champions finally arrived, and everyone watched in awe as the flames in the Goblet of Fire changed colours before it produced a piece of paper that Dumbledore picked up to read aloud.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

Applause erupted in the hall, with Ursa cheering especially loud for her cousin. Ursa knew that Fleur was a powerful witch, and that her Veela qualities would certainly come in handy. Though it was going to be a bit strange rooting for Fleur considering Ursa was almost obliged to root for the Hogwarts champion. It would be even stranger if Ursa was the Hogwarts champion. Another piece of paper then came out of the Goblet of Fire and landed in Dumbledore's hand.

"The champion for Durmstrang is Viktor Krum!"

That announcement earned more of an applause than Fleur's announcement did, though Ursa figured that it was because Krum already had a fan base lined up. Ursa didn't follow much of Quidditch, but she knew that Krum was a world-famous superstar with more than enough support.

Finally, a third piece of paper came out from the Goblet of Fire and Ursa braced herself for the moment of truth. Any second now, Dumbledore would be announcing who the champion for Hogwarts would be, and Ursa was holding her breath for it. Was this really what she wanted? Could Ursa really do this? Ursa braced herself as Dumbledore caught the piece of paper and unfolded it before reading it aloud.

"The champion for Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory!"

Ursa let out a sigh of relief that she didn't even realise she had been holding in. The Hufflepuff table cheered loudly as Cedric got up, and Ursa had to admit that Cedric was certainly a worthy participant for Hogwarts. Ursa had only had a few conversations with Cedric in the past, but he seemed nice enough and she knew that he was a talented wizard. It was nice to see a deserving champion for Hogwarts, since Ursa knew that Cedric was humble enough for the Triwizard Tournament and that he would not be entering it for the wrong reasons. The Hufflepuffs also deserved someone in the spotlight since the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry always had everyone's attention while the Ravenclaws were celebrated for their intellect.

With the third champion having been announced, Ursa expected them all to be dismissed to their dormitories. However, that wasn't what happened as the Goblet of Fire once again changed colours before producing a fourth piece of paper, much to everyone's surprise and confusion. But what left everyone even more surprised and confused was the name that Dumbledore read from the paper.

"Harry Potter!"

Everyone's eyes instantly turned to where Harry Potter was sitting. He certainly looked stunned to hear his name called, and there was no denying the look of fear on his face. Ursa watched as Hermione forced Harry to get up and head to Dumbledore, who gave him the piece of paper and ushered him to the anti-chamber. There was no denying the dirty looks that Harry received as he left the Great Hall, with even a few people calling him out as a cheat.

If anyone had bothered to look at Harry Potter directly then they would have noticed how startled he was when his name was unexpectedly called. Ursa had no idea what was going on, but she was willing to bet that there was something sinister in the works. How else would that explain Harry Potters name coming out from the Goblet of Fire? Ursa had already expected this year to be unlike any other, but what just happened only reinforced that.

* * *

**And so Ursa's cousins are finally revealed, though some of you had already guessed who they were. Her cousins were always going to be Fleur and Gabrielle, but I had originally written them as her direct cousins from Lucius. But then that would have been confusing, since Fleur gets her Veela abilities from her mothers side. So if you're still confused as to how they're exactly related, they're cousins through Ursa's Grandmother Druella, since her sister married into the Delacour family and then had one son, who is Fleur's father. I think that works better than having Fleur being directly related to Lucius. I realise that I already mentioned their relation to Ursa in the previous chapter, but I edited that so it was appropriate with this change but let me know if there are any inaccuracies in previous chapters.**

**Alright, now I'm gonna be honest and say that before writing this chapter, I was actually going to make Ursa the Hogwarts champion. Even as I was writing it, that's the direction I was going in. But then I got to the reveal part, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was best to just leave everything the way it was. I'm generally not a fan of OC characters who just take the spotlight away from the main characters, and having Ursa as the champion would be doing exactly that. It would almost be a disservice to Cedric's character, and even though I had worked him into the plot anyhow, it wouldn't have been as important as he was in canon. Besides, Ursa already has her Head Girl title so she doesn't need any more pressure on her.**


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